Tasso Motif with Bloodspots, 29.1×11.6mm, Pitch-Black Agate (At-071426-TaBS4)

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

The cream zones on this bead have not stayed cream — one of the macro photographs shows a concentrated zone of deep orange-red saturation at the heart of the motif field, surrounded by the scattered reddish-orange dots that extend across the full tasso form.

This antique tasso dzi is one of the most cinnabar-saturated pieces in the collection's tasso bloodspot family. The tasso motif — two opposing diagonal chevron forms sweeping across the face — reads in the body photographs as a bold contrast between the pitch-black ground and the pale zones that carry the motif. But it is the macro photographs that tell the defining story of this bead: the pale zones are not simply cream or white. They carry scattered reddish-orange pinpoint dots throughout their extent, with a concentrated zone of particularly intense orange-red cinnabar saturation visible at the heart of one motif field — a depth of inclusion that goes beyond scattered spotting into something closer to a stain within the stone itself.

The ground is pitch-black in the body zones, confirmed from the flat-lit white-background photographs. The end caps at both drill ends transition to a deep warm reddish-brown — a two-zone colour structure in which the dark centre of the bead gives way to a warmer tone at each tip. The drill openings at both ends are small and clean, set within the warm reddish-brown dome of each end cap.

Two macro photographs are included in the listing. The first documents the concentrated orange-red saturation zone — a vivid, dense area of cinnabar colouration within the cream field. The second shows the scattered pattern across the broader cream zone — individually visible reddish-orange dots distributed throughout the pale motif area. Together they document both the intensity and the extent of the cinnabar inclusions on this piece.

The surface carries age-consistent micro-texture across the dark zones, visible in the macro shots. Fine surface marks are present. No chips or cracks observed from available photos. At 29.1×11.6mm this is a compact barrel, consistent with the smaller end of the tasso form.

The Tasso Motif

The tasso — also known as the tiger tooth dzi — is one of the most protective motifs in the Tibetan dzi tradition. The tiger is revered across Himalayan cultures as a guardian and subjugator of malevolent forces; the tiger tooth form on dzi beads is understood to carry this protective energy in concentrated form. Tasso dzi are traditionally worn or carried for protection against negative influences, obstacles, and harmful spirits. The bold diagonal sweep of the motif — aggressive and directional in its visual character — reflects this protective, outward-facing power.

Bloodspots — Cinnabar Inclusions

Bloodspots on dzi beads are inclusions of cinnabar (硃砂, zhusha — mercuric sulfide), a reddish-orange mineral that forms within the agate over centuries, considered in the Tibetan tradition as a marker of age, authenticity, and accumulated blessing. On this bead the cinnabar presence is extreme: a concentrated zone of deep orange-red saturation at the heart of the motif field, with reddish-orange pinpoint dots distributed across the full extent of the cream zones. Distribution: cream-zone focused scattered with concentrated central saturation zone.

Spec Block

Motif: Tasso (Tiger Tooth)
Length: 29.1mm
Diameter: 11.6mm
Form: Barrel
Material: Agate (warm reddish-brown end cap coloration consistent with agate-internal colour at drill zones — see end-angle photos; owner confirmation recommended)
Age Estimate: Antique — 300–500 years
Condition: Good — age-consistent micro-surface texture; fine surface marks; no chips or cracks observed from available photos
Bloodspots: Tier 3 — extreme cinnabar (硃砂, zhusha) presence; concentrated orange-red saturation zone at motif centre plus scattered reddish-orange pinpoint dots across full cream zones; documented in two macro photographs. Distribution: cream-zone focused scattered with concentrated central saturation zone
Product ID: At-071426-TaBS4
Collection: Antique Dzi | Bloodspot Dzi

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Its companion pieces — Tasso Bloodspot family:

• At-052526-TaBS — Tasso with Bloodspots, 29.9×12.3mm
• At-092924-TaBS2 — Tasso with Bloodspots, 28.7×11.2mm
• At-093024-TaBS3 — Tasso with Bloodspots, 29.4×14.0mm

Further reading:

• What Gives Dzi Beads Value — and What to Be Careful Of
• Dzi Motifs and Their Interpretations

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

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

📷 7 unretouched product photos included.

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