Tiger Tooth & Longevity Motif, Round, 19.3×16.7mm, cream-ground agate (At-070826-RTTL)

✦ Every piece at Ancient Dzi Shop is photographed unretouched and described exactly as found. ✦

This bead shows tiger teeth on one axis and a longevity element on the other — and the cream ground makes the dark zones read as the motif rather than the field, which inverts the usual relationship.

This antique Tibetan round dzi bead carries a composite tiger tooth and longevity motif, measuring 19.3×16.7mm and estimated at 200–300 years of age. Unlike the majority of dzi beads where dark ground carries cream motif, this piece is ground-inverted: the cream-white is the dominant surface, and the dark brown to pitch-black motif zones sit within it. On the main faces — visible in images 1, 2, and 3 — the tiger tooth element presents as stacked chevron bands pointing downward across the face, separated by a horizontal dark band across the upper zone and anchored by small dark dot elements at the poles. Each rotation shifts the chevron composition: image 1 shows the full stack reading wide and symmetrical; image 2 presents from a slightly different angle where the upper chevron catches the light differently; image 3 shifts again, and the lower dark zone warms perceptibly to deep brown. On a round bead, all readings are valid and none is definitive.

The opposite axis — visible in images 4 and 5 — holds the longevity element. Image 4 (drill-end view) shows a cross-form cream element against the darker ground, the characteristic structural unit of the longevity/tortoise shell motif family. Image 5 (opposite drill end) shows the cream ground reasserting itself with the dark motif wrapping around from below. The composition across both axes is complete and consistent.

The cream ground shows the fine granular matte texture of aged agate — the surface has the characteristic softness of etched agate that has been handled and worn over centuries, distinct from the smooth gloss of the dark motif zones. A very minor surface mark is present near the lower centre of the face in image 3, consistent with age and handling. A small shallow surface chip is visible adjacent to the drill hole in image 4 — superficial and localised, with no structural consequence. No cracks are present anywhere on the piece; I confirm this independently from all five photographs.

At 19.3×16.7mm this is a compact piece — small enough for a bracelet or necklace focal bead, with the full composite motif distributed across its surface.

The Tiger Tooth & Longevity Motif

The tiger tooth motif on dzi beads represents strength, protection, and the warding off of negative forces — the downward-pointing chevrons evoke the protective energy of the tiger, one of the four sacred animals in Tibetan tradition. The longevity motif (壽, shou) is associated with long life, health, and sustained vitality, often appearing as an interlocking geometric form on round dzi. When these two motifs combine on a single bead, the result is understood as layering protective force with an aspiration toward long and healthy life — a pairing sought for personal wear as much as for its symbolic completeness.

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Motif: Tiger Tooth & Longevity
Length (max): 19.3mm
Diameter (max): 16.7mm
Form: Round (oval/spherical)
Material: Agate (cream-dominant ground; dark brown to pitch-black motif zones; consistent matte surface texture throughout)
Age Estimate: 200–300 years
Condition: Very minor surface mark near lower centre face (image 3). Small shallow surface chip adjacent to drill hole, image 4 face. No cracks. Age-consistent matte granular surface texture throughout cream zones.
Bloodspots: None
Product ID: At-070826-RTTL
Collection: Antique Dzi / Round Beads / All Products

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Browse related pieces:
→ Antique Dzi Beads
→ Round Dzi Beads
→ All Products

Same crafting tradition:
→ Antique Round Tiger Tooth & Wave Dzi (At-070626-TTW)
→ Antique Tibetan Six Eye Lotus Round Dzi Pair

Same motif, different piece:
→ Antique Round Tiger Tooth & Longevity Dzi (At-061826-RTTL)

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

Each piece at Ancient Dzi Shop is offered as found — no restoration, no enhancement, no retouching.

✦ Unretouched photographs. Honest descriptions. Every piece exactly as it is. ✦

All photographs are unretouched. Colours are represented as accurately as camera and lighting permit.

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