Antique Tibetan Double Wave Dzi Bead — 49.7 mm, Dark Brown & Black, 200–400 Years (AT-092926-DW4)

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

This bead shares its motif and dimensions with another double wave piece listed separately in the collection, but its colour character is distinct. Where that piece works entirely in warm dark brown on honey-tan, this one introduces black alongside the brown — the patterning moving between the two dark tones across the body in a way that is visible in the photographs and gives this bead a stronger contrast range. The dark brown dominates in most zones, deepening toward black in the wave forms and along the stripe separators, the two tones sitting together naturally as the agate's own geology asserts itself through the etched motif.

The ground is a warm honey-tan cream throughout — the same natural agate palette as its companion piece — and the composition follows the standard double wave structure: three panels per long face, each separated by vertical dark stripe dividers, each panel carrying a paired wave form. Two opposing curves sweep from top and bottom of each panel, meeting at a pinched centre waist to form the characteristic hourglass or butterfly silhouette. The wave forms vary between panels and between faces in the way consistent with ancient freehand etching — no two panels carry identical curvature or line weight, and a close reading of the three lateral photographs will show the differences from face to face.

The honey-tan ground carries the natural texture of aged agate, with occasional warmer orange-tan tones surfacing at points where the stone's own banding comes through. At both drill ends the agate deepens into a near-solid dark brown-black — the tip zones reading as distinctly darker than the body, visible in both angled end photographs. Both drill holes are small and clean with no rim damage. Surface condition is excellent throughout. No cracks or chips are present on any face.

The Double Wave Motif

The double wave — also known by regional names including tiger tooth, bow, and S-wave — is among the older and more elemental of Tibetan dzi motif forms. Its opposing curves carry associations with duality and resolution: two forces meeting and holding in balance. In Tibetan use, wave and bow forms on dzi beads are understood to carry protective energy, deflecting harmful influences and stabilising the wearer's fortune. The dark brown and black palette of this bead is characteristic of a particular natural agate type used in Tibetan dzi production — the honey-tan and dark brown-black combination placing it within a colour tradition with its own collector following.

Specifications

Motif: Double Wave — three paired wave forms per face; vertical dark stripe separators; warm honey-tan ground; dark brown and black patterning; freehand line variation between panels
Length: 49.7 mm
Diameter: 11.9 mm
Form: Elongated barrel
Material: Natural agate
Color: Warm honey-tan ground; dark brown and black motif and stripes; deep dark brown-black tips
Age Estimate: Antique — 200–400 years
Condition: Excellent. No cracks, no chips. Small clean drill holes at both ends. Natural polish throughout.
Bloodspots: None
Product ID: (AT-092926-DW4)
Collections: Antique Dzi · All Products

Other double wave dzi in the collection:

• AT-092826-DW3 — Antique Double Wave Dzi Bead, 49.7 mm, Dark Brown
• AT-090226-DW9 — Antique Double Wave Dzi Bead, 41 mm, Dark Brown & Black

Further reading: Dzi Motifs and Their Interpretations · Tibetan Dzi Beads: Luck, Fortune & Meaning

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. Five product photographs: three white-background lateral views covering both long faces at different rotations, and two angled views showing both drill ends and the deep dark brown-black tip zones.

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