Ancient Tasso Dzi Bead, 34.8×11.5mm, mahogany-purple and orange-amber agate, cinnabar bloodspots (Ac-071026-TaBS)

We never retouch our photos. What you see is exactly what you will receive.

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The colour of this bead is not a single tone — it is a landscape. Deep mahogany-purple runs through the body, shifting to warm orange-amber in the banding zones, and the cream-pale tasso tooth forms sit across this ground as if the stone itself produced them rather than the etching tool. The natural multicolour banding of the agate and the applied tasso motif read together as one composition: the tooth chevrons are amplified by the warm orange zones beneath them and framed by the dark mahogany bands on either side. No two faces read the same colour combination.

The tasso motif on this bead takes a form sometimes called Tiger Tooth, Horse Tooth, or Wave Motif — all describing the same diagonal chevron pattern that repeats around the bead's circumference. On this piece the tooth forms are generous and well-defined: each chevron is clearly shaped, the cream motif lines tracking cleanly through the warm coloured ground from one end of the body to the other. The surface is smooth and uninterrupted — no calcification, no chips, no cracks. Minor age-consistent weathering marks are present and fully consistent with a 500–700 year lifespan.

Both drill holes are small and clean. The end caps show the agate's warm internal colouring at its most vivid — a bright orange-red surround at each drill opening, visible in the angled photographs and consistent with the natural colour variation within the stone.

The bloodspot photographs were taken under microscope magnification and show what the surface reveals only at high magnification. In the cream-white motif zones, dozens of discrete reddish-brown to orange cinnabar inclusions are present — individual pinpoints ranging from fine dots to larger orange-golden concentrations with darker centres. The distribution is a dense constellation running across and along the cream banding zones, with a particularly concentrated cluster in one field and a broader scatter in the second macro view. These are cinnabar (硃砂/zhusha, mercuric sulfide) inclusions — natural mineral formations within the agate, present since the stone's geological formation. They are visible to the naked eye with attention and fully documented in the microscope photographs included with this listing.

The Tasso Motif

The tasso — also known in different traditions as tiger tooth (虎牙, hǔ yá), horse tooth, or wave motif — is one of the oldest and most widely distributed patterns in the Tibetan dzi tradition. The repeating diagonal chevron is associated with strength, courage, and protective power; the tooth form is understood to ward off negative forces and to sharpen the wearer's vitality. A tasso bead with cinnabar bloodspot inclusions is considered particularly auspicious — the bloodspots are understood as natural sacred marks within the stone, amplifying the bead's protective and energising qualities.

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Specifications

Motif: Tasso (Tiger Tooth / Horse Tooth / Wave Motif) — repeating chevron pattern across full circumference
Length: 34.8mm
Diameter: 11.5mm
Form: Barrel
Material: Natural agate — warm mahogany-purple and orange-amber multicolour banding
Age Estimate: 500–700 years
Condition: Excellent. No cracks, no chips, no calcification. Smooth surface throughout. Minor age-consistent weathering marks.
Bloodspots: Tier 3 — cinnabar (硃砂/zhusha, mercuric sulfide) inclusions confirmed under microscope magnification. Reddish-brown to orange coloration. Distribution: cream-zone focused, dense constellation with broader scatter across cream banding zones. Two microscope photographs included.
Product ID: Ac-071026-TaBS
Collections: Ancient Dzi · Bloodspot Dzi · All Products

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Explore more ancient pieces in our Ancient Dzi collection.

Browse pieces with cinnabar inclusions in our Bloodspot Dzi collection.

Browse all pieces in our full collection.

Further reading: What Gives Dzi Beads Value — and What to Be Careful Of · Dzi Motifs and Their Interpretations

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Every piece at Ancient Dzi Shop is photographed unretouched and described exactly as found. What you see is what you will receive.

Photos: Unretouched images of the exact bead listed. Seven product photographs: three white-background lateral views covering the main faces, two angled views showing both drill ends and the warm-toned end caps, and two microscope magnification photographs documenting the cinnabar bloodspot inclusions in the cream banding zones.

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