Treasure Vase Motif Pair, 20.7×18.3mm & 20.1×17.7mm, Dark Brown Agate (V-071426-TVV)

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

Turn either of these beads and the vase shifts — what reads as a wide-shouldered vessel from one angle becomes a chalice or trophy from the opposite side, the same cream lines reorganising into a different silhouette as the bead rotates in the hand.

These two round dzi were made in Taiwan in the 1980s, using the same crafting tradition as the pitch-black round double wave pair listed in this shop — the same style of cream etching on a dark agate ground, the same rounded ovoid form, the same quality of line work that characterises this period of Taiwan dzi production. The motif is a treasure vase variant: the classic bumpa form, rendered here with a distinctive rounded top and wide-shouldered body that gives each face of the bead a slightly different reading depending on the orientation.

The ground on both beads is a deep, rich dark brown — confirmed from the white-background photos. The two beads share this ground tone but differ in surface character. Bead A (20.7×18.3mm) carries a slightly warmer surface, with fine natural texture visible across the dark zones and a warm brown cast at the inner edges of the cream lines. Bead B (20.1×17.7mm) presents a smoother, more uniform surface, and the cream lines are crisper at their centres — cooler in tone, with warm brown appearing only at the immediate boundary where cream meets dark ground. Side by side, this difference is subtle but consistent across all angles.

From the end-drill views, the cream lines of the motif extend around the full equator of each bead, forming large lobed zones that divide the dark ground in a pattern quite different from what any single face-on view would suggest. Rotating either bead slowly reveals the full composition — a continuous cream network wrapping the entire surface.

Both beads are in good condition. The fine surface texture on Bead A is a natural characteristic of the agate and its age, not damage. The drill openings on both are clean and consistent with vintage Taiwan production. Each bead is slightly ovoid rather than perfectly spherical — a natural feature of this form and period.

The Treasure Vase Motif

The treasure vase — bumpa in Tibetan — is one of the Eight Auspicious Symbols of Tibetan Buddhism and one of the most enduring motifs in dzi tradition. It is the vessel of abundance: an inexhaustible source of wealth, health, and all that is wished for. On dzi beads the treasure vase motif is associated with the fulfilment of wishes, the removal of obstacles, and the sustaining of good fortune. A pair amplifies this symbolism — two vessels together are understood in the Tibetan tradition as a doubling of the auspicious energy, and as an expression of completeness.

Spec Block

Motif: Treasure Vase Variant
Diameter × Height: 18.3×20.7mm (Bead A) | 17.7×20.1mm (Bead B)
Form: Round (ovoid)
Material: Agate
Age Estimate: Vintage — 1980s Taiwan production
Condition: Good — fine natural surface texture on Bead A consistent with age; no chips or cracks observed from available photos on either bead
Bloodspots: None
Product ID: V-071426-TVV
Collection: New & Vintage Dzi | Taiwan Dzi | Round Beads | Pairs & Sets

---

Its companion pieces:

• V-052526-TVP — Vintage round treasure vase pair, 1980s Taiwan
• V-060826-DWP2 — Vintage round double wave pair, pitch-black, same crafting tradition
• V-060426-DWP — Vintage round double wave pair, chocolate-brown

For treasure vase motif in antique barrel form, see:

• At-061826-2ETV — Two Eye & Treasure Vase, chalcedony, 29.6×11.4mm
• At-062226-2ETV2 — Two Eye & Treasure Vase, agate, 30.2×10.9mm

---

Further reading:

• Tibetan Dzi Beads: Luck, Fortune & Meaning
• 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.

📷 6 unretouched product photos included.

#dzibeads #tibetanbeads #dzibead #treasurevase #bumpadzi #vintagedzi #taiwandzi #rounddzi #dzibeadpair #agatebeads #tibetanjewelry #buddhistbeads #dzibeadcollector #agatedzi #dzibeadshop