Tiger Tooth & Lotus Dzi, 28.6mm × 11.6mm, warm medium brown, pervasive cinnabar bloodspots (At-091124-TTL)

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

The dark markings on this bead are not stripes or geometric lines. They spread across the surface as irregular, organic blotches, the way natural banding moves through stone.

This is the only Tiger Tooth and Lotus dzi in the collection, and it looks unlike anything else here. The agate is a warm, even mid-brown, and across every face deep dark brown to near-black blotches spread in irregular forms. There are no crisp dividers and no sharp boundaries; the dark areas fade gradually into the brown, so the bead feels more like a stone with dramatic natural markings than a conventionally decorated dzi. The motif is drawn into the character of the agate rather than imposed over it.

The tiger tooth appears in the close-ups (Images 1 and 8) as fine chevron and arc forms within the brown areas. The lotus (Image 2) appears as a clean open ring with a dark centre on one face — the lotus reduced to its essential form. At full size (Images 3, 4 and 5) the two motifs merge into one whole-surface pattern of dark markings on warm brown.

The body is a wide, compact barrel, 28.6mm × 11.6mm, with a full, rounded profile. The end caps (Images 6 and 7) match the body's warm brown, with a rust-orange drill hole interior visible in Image 7. Fine crackle lines and surface texture run across both the brown and dark areas, consistent with long wear.

Bloodspots

The bead is covered with bloodspots. The natural cinnabar (朱砂) inclusions appear as a fine golden-brown to rust-orange dusting throughout the brown areas — spread across the whole surface as a warm tint rather than as separate dots or clusters. Bloodspots are part of the stone's natural character and add to its appeal, though they are not in themselves proof of age. Read more in our bloodspots guide.

The Tiger Tooth and Lotus Motif

The Tiger Tooth (虎牙) is associated with strength, courage and protection. The Lotus (蓮花) stands for purity and spiritual awakening — the flower that blooms from mud untouched by it. Together they work on complementary levels: the tiger's protective strength and the lotus's purifying wisdom in one bead, traditionally said to clear the mind and bring wisdom along with the courage to act on it.

Specifications

• Motif: Tiger Tooth and Lotus (虎牙蓮花); fine tiger tooth chevrons and a lotus ring within organic dark markings across the whole surface
• Length: 28.6mm
• Diameter: 11.6mm
• Form: Wide, compact barrel with a full, rounded profile
• Material: Warm medium-brown agate with deep dark brown to near-black markings
• Age: Antique, estimated 300–500 years
• Condition: No cracks; fine crackle lines and surface texture throughout; minor weathering consistent with age
• Bloodspots: Yes — Extreme; fine golden-brown to rust-orange cinnabar across the whole surface
• Product ID: At-091124-TTL
• Collection: Antique Dzi Beads | Bloodspot Dzi Beads

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Further Reading

• Bloodspots in Dzi Beads
• Dzi Bead Motifs and Their Meanings
• Real vs Fake Dzi Beads: The Collector's Guide

Strength and purity on warm brown agate — the tiger's mark and the lotus ring, three to five centuries old.