Two Eye Dzi, 49.1mm × 11.8mm, deep near-black, honey-golden motif lines, cinnabar (At-041521-2EBS)

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

On this bead the motif lines are not cream or white. They are a warm honey-golden-orange, and against a deep near-black ground they glow.

Most two eye dzi use cream or white for their motif. Here the stripes and eye rings are a warm honey-golden-orange, between gold and terracotta, reading as a warm, luminous colour against the near-black agate. It is the defining feature of the bead and the first thing you notice in every photograph.

Face A (Image 3) presents one eye with a layered quality: a honey-golden-orange ring with a pale inner zone and a dark oval centre, giving it depth. Parallel golden-orange stripes run above and below, crisp and well-spaced. Face B (Image 4) shows an open C-ring eye in the same warm tone. The two eyes differ, one more closed, one open, and the bead must be turned to see both. The stripes are bold and well-defined, and the surface is highly polished and glassy along its length.

At 49.1mm × 11.8mm this is one of the longer and more slender two eye beads in the collection, a clean elongated spindle (Images 5 and 6). The end caps are warm russet to terracotta-brown, with a vivid orange-red drill interior that picks up the warmth of the motif.

The microscope image (Image 2) shows two kinds of natural cinnabar (硃砂, zhūshā) in one view: in the upper white zone, a dense concentration of warm rust-brown to dark orange-brown cinnabar in a broad patch; below it, a scattered constellation of individual rust-orange to golden-orange dots. The cinnabar is part of the agate itself, present before the bead was etched. The stone's natural patina is very beautiful, and the microscope shows why. Learn more in our guide to bloodspots in dzi beads.

The Two Eye Motif

The Two Eye dzi (二眼天珠) is one of the most widely worn motifs in the Tibetan amulet tradition, associated with harmony in close relationships, between partners, family members and colleagues. It is a long-time favourite of managers, prized for fostering harmony among co-workers as much as between husband and wife. Read more in The Two Eye Dzi Bead: Symbolism and Significance.

Specifications

• Motif: Two Eye (二眼天珠); a near-closed layered eye on Face A, an open C-ring eye on Face B; parallel honey-golden-orange stripes
• Length: 49.1mm
• Diameter: 11.8mm
• Form: Elegant elongated spindle, highly polished
• Material: Natural agate; deep near-black ground; warm honey-golden-orange motif; russet to terracotta-brown end caps
• Age estimate: Antique, 200–400 years
• Condition: Excellent; highly polished; no cracks; beautiful natural patina
• Bloodspots: Yes; a concentrated rust-brown patch and a scattered golden-orange dot constellation of natural cinnabar, both in Image 2
• Product ID: At-041521-2EBS
• Collections: Antique Dzi | Bloodspot Dzi

Related Two Eye Dzi

Antique

• Antique Two Eye Dzi with Extreme Bloodspots, 41.0mm
• Antique Double Bat and Two Eye Dzi with Bloodspots
• Antique Two Eye Dzi with Bloodspots, banded agate
• Antique Two Eye Dzi, mahogany with brick-red end caps
• Antique Two Eye Dzi, pitch-black, medicine digs

Ancient

• Ancient Two Eye Dzi, spiral and ring eyes
• Ancient Two Eye Dzi, naturally formed eye
• Ancient Two Eye Dzi, heavy calcification
• Ancient Two Eye Dzi, oval cross-section

Vintage

• Vintage Two Eye Variant Dzi with Bloodspots, Taiwan 1980s
• Vintage Two Eye Dzi, 56.6mm
• Vintage Two Eye Dzi, 54.5mm

For wearing several motifs together, see How to Combine Dzi Bead Motifs.

Two eyes, two centuries of age, and motif lines that glow gold against near-black agate.

📷 We never retouch our photos. Every bead is photographed exactly as it is. What you see is what you receive.