Lotus Bud Motif with Bloodspots, 43.1×12.5mm, Very Dark Brown Agate (At-072226-LBBS)

🪨 Natural agate. Unretouched photos. What you see is what ships.

The macro photograph of this bead shows something unusual: not scattered dots, but a continuous orange band running along the boundary between the cream and dark zones, the cinnabar concentrated exactly where the two colours meet.

This antique dzi carries the Lotus Bud motif: a rounded arch at the top of the main face, with curving organic lines sweeping outward and downward in the shape of a closed bud before it opens. It has a different character from the geometric eye or stripe motifs; the lines flow rather than resolve, the cream elements reading as petals gathered around an unopened flower. From the reverse and side views the motif breaks into its parts, broader cream zones with dark brown patches across the field, before returning to the bud form on the main face.

The ground throughout is a very dark brown, rich and deep rather than a cool black, consistent across all four body shots. The cream and white motif lines stand against it in clear contrast, with warm orange tones at the boundaries between the two zones, which the macro reveals as natural cinnabar along those lines. Both end caps carry a warm orange-brown tone at the tips, and the drill openings show a vivid warm orange.

The surface has a mature, slightly matte character; the polish has settled over one to three centuries into a fully aged surface. Fine age-consistent texture is visible in the macro shot across the dark zones. No chips or cracks are visible.

The Lotus Bud Motif

The lotus is among the most universal symbols in Buddhist art: the flower that rises through murky water to bloom immaculate above it, representing the potential for enlightenment within ordinary life. The lotus bud carries that potential at the moment before it is fully realised, awakening already begun but not yet open. In Tibetan tradition the lotus is associated with Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion, and with pure intention. On a dzi, the lotus bud represents the wearer's own awakening nature: present, unfolding, moving toward full expression. Read more in Dzi Motifs and Their Interpretations.

Bloodspots

Bloodspots are inclusions of cinnabar (硃砂, zhūshā), a reddish-orange mineral that occurs naturally within the agate. Cinnabar cannot be added to a bead, and it appears in new beads as well as old, so it is a feature to enjoy rather than a proof of age. On this bead the macro shows a near-continuous warm orange band along the boundaries between the cream motif and the dark ground, with scattered warm colour in the cream nearby. Learn more in our guide to bloodspots in dzi beads.

Specifications

• Motif: Lotus Bud
• Length: 43.1mm
• Diameter: 12.5mm
• Form: Barrel
• Material: Natural agate; very dark brown ground; warm orange-brown end caps
• Age estimate: Antique, 100–300 years
• Condition: Good; mature surface; fine surface texture; no chips or cracks visible
• Bloodspots: Prominent; a near-continuous orange band of natural cinnabar along the cream-to-dark boundaries
• Product ID: At-072226-LBBS
• Collections: Antique Dzi | Bloodspot Dzi

You may also like

• Antique Tiger Tooth and Lotus Dzi with Bloodspots
• Antique Six Eye Lotus Cross Dzi with Bloodspots
• Antique Twin Lotus and Treasure Vase Dzi with Bloodspot

From the blog

• Bloodspots in Dzi Beads
• What Gives Dzi Beads Value, and What to Be Careful Of

All photos are unretouched. Colour and surface detail are as photographed.

📷 7 unretouched product photos included.