Eight Eye Dzi, 48.9mm × 13.1mm, warm medium-brown, sandy-beige end caps, bloodspots (At-081624-8E)

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

On the main face of this bead the eight eyes do not form a line — they form a grid.

Face A carries two rows of two open-ring eyes, each pair separated by a vertical stripe and bounded by stripe bands above and below — four eyes in a structured two-by-two arrangement that reads almost like a diagram. The other four eyes are spread across the remaining three faces. Few beads in our collection arrange their eyes this way.

The form matches the design. At 48.9mm × 13.1mm the bead is wide and slightly flattened for its length — a tablet-like barrel rather than a slim spindle — giving each face a broad surface. The ground is a warm, medium tawny-brown, lighter than the deep chocolate or charcoal grounds common in the collection, and the bright white eyes stand out clearly against it. The end caps (Images 5 and 6) are a pale sandy-beige, among the lightest in the collection.

All the eyes are open rings — a continuous white ring around a warm brown centre. The Face A eyes (Image 1) are the most complete and symmetrical; those on the side faces (Images 2 and 3) show the natural variation of hand-made decoration. The white stripe dividers are crisp.

Bloodspots and Surface

The close-ups (Images 7 and 8) show two things the full views cannot. First, the white areas have a deeply weathered, crackled micro-relief, almost crystalline under magnification, consistent with three to five centuries of age. Second, scattered through the white rings and cream areas are fine rust-orange to vermilion pinpoints — natural cinnabar (朱砂) inclusions within the agate. They are sparse, like a scattering of stars, but crisp and clearly coloured. Collectors value bloodspots for their beauty and auspicious associations, though they are not in themselves proof of age. See our bloodspots guide.

The surface also shows a gently rippling weathered ridge along the spine (Images 2 and 3) and minor digs consistent with long use. No cracks.

The Eight Eye Motif

The Eight Eye dzi (八眼天珠) is associated with good fortune in all eight directions and with the Eight Auspicious Symbols (八吉祥) of Tibetan Buddhism. It is worn to help the wearer succeed in every endeavour and to remove obstacles from every side — an all-round protector.

Specifications

• Motif: Eight Eye (八眼天珠); open-ring eyes, four in a two-by-two grid on Face A and four across the other faces; white stripe dividers
• Length: 48.9mm
• Diameter: 13.1mm
• Form: Wide, slightly flattened barrel
• Material: Warm medium-brown agate with white to cream eyes and sandy-beige end caps
• Age: Antique, estimated 300–500 years
• Condition: No cracks; weathered ridge along the spine; minor digs; crackled micro-relief on the white areas
• Bloodspots: Yes — Light; sparse rust-orange to vermilion cinnabar pinpoints (Images 7 and 8)
• Product ID: At-081624-8E
• Collection: Antique Dzi Beads | Bloodspot Dzi Beads

You May Also Like

• Antique Eight Eye Dzi (At-080226-8E2)
• Antique Eight Eye Dzi, Very Dark Brown (At-073026-8E)
• Antique Six Eye Dzi with Honey-Gold End Caps (At-053026-6E)
• Antique Five Eye Kubera Dzi (At-072625-5E)

Further Reading

• The Eight Eye Dzi Bead: Symbolism and Significance
• Bloodspots in Dzi Beads

Eight eyes, eight directions, one bead — a protector with nowhere left uncovered.