Antique Tibetan Twin Lotus Treasure Vase Dzi Bead — Bloodspot 32.6 mm 200–300 Years (AT-B-101226-TLV)

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

The form of this bead is a compact, broad disc-barrel — 32.6 mm along its long axis and 12.4 mm at its widest point, which gives it a notably flat, wide profile compared to the elongated barrels of larger dzi types. This proportion is characteristic of a specific category of Tibetan dzi production: beads intended to present a large decorated face area relative to their length, maximizing the visual surface of the motif when strung as part of a multi-bead necklace or worn as a single pendant. The agate ground is cream-white, dense and opaque, with the kind of settled, unified surface that develops over centuries of continuous use — smooth, without sharp reflections, and with the characteristic micro-texture of well-aged natural agate.

The motif is the twin lotus treasure vase — a paired composition in which two lotus-surmounted treasure vases face each other across the central axis of the bead, connected by the flowing curvilinear lines of the lotus stems and leaves. The composition reads differently from different viewing distances: at arm's length, the large-form dark and cream shapes read as an abstract flowing pattern; at close range, the individual elements of the design resolve — the rounded vase bodies, the upward-opening lotus blooms above them, and the curved stems that link them. The motif lines are rendered in deep warm brown to near-black, with soft edges where the etched lines meet the cream ground — a transition that is characteristic of antique dzi work, where the etching has rounded and settled over time rather than maintaining the sharp boundaries of a newer piece. Both long faces carry the same composition, with natural variations in line weight and curve angle between faces, as expected in hand-worked ancient material.

The bloodspot patina on this bead is distributed across the cream-white ground zones as scattered micro-speckling — fine rust-brown and warm tan dots clustered and spread through the surface of the agate, visible clearly in the macro photograph. Bloodspot patina is the result of iron mineral migration through the agate matrix over centuries, producing the characteristic reddish-brown inclusions that Tibetan collectors have long recognized as a marker of age and authenticity. On this bead the speckling is concentrated in the cream zones rather than the dark motif areas, where it is most visible against the pale ground. It does not obscure the motif but adds depth and visual complexity to the cream zones, integrating into the surface rather than sitting atop it.

Condition is excellent for a piece of this age. No cracks. No chips. Both drill hole apertures are small, clean, and well-centered at the cream-white tips. The motif lines are fully intact across both faces.

The Twin Lotus Treasure Vase Motif

The treasure vase (Tib. གཏེར་གྱི་བུམ་པ, bum pa) is one of the Eight Auspicious Symbols of Tibetan Buddhism — a vessel understood to contain inexhaustible wealth, long life, prosperity, and spiritual realization. It is depicted in Tibetan art as a wide-bellied vase with a narrow neck and an overflowing abundance emerging from its opening. The lotus flower (Tib. པད་མ, pad ma) carries its own deep symbolic weight: rooted in the mud of the lake bottom and opening in pure light above the water surface, the lotus is the symbol of enlightenment — of spiritual flowering that emerges from and transcends worldly conditions. When a dzi bead pairs two treasure vases with two lotus blooms in a single composition, it combines the wealth-containing function of the vase with the spiritual aspiration of the lotus: material abundance and spiritual realization held together. Twin compositions on dzi — two of the same symbol paired across a single bead — are traditionally associated with doubled benefit: the same blessing operating in both the material and the spiritual dimensions simultaneously.

Specifications

Motif: Twin Lotus Treasure Vase — paired treasure vase and lotus bloom composition on both long faces; deep warm brown to near-black curvilinear motif lines on cream-white agate ground; horizontal band lines at equatorial zone
Length: 32.6 mm
Diameter: 12.4 mm
Form: Flat disc-barrel
Material: Natural agate
Color: Cream-white agate ground; deep warm brown to near-black etched motif
Bloodspots: Yes — scattered rust-brown micro-speckling across cream-white ground zones; visible in macro photograph
Tier: Antique
Age Estimate: Antique — 200–300 years
Condition: Excellent. No cracks, no chips. Both drill holes small, clean, and well-centered. Motif fully intact across both faces.
Product ID: AT-B-101226-TLV
Collections: Ancient Dzi · All Products

Other antique dzi beads in the collection:

• AT-091626-9E2 — Antique Nine-Eye Dzi Bead, 54 mm, Medicine Dig
• AT-082524-DS — Antique Diamond Spear Agate Dzi Bead with Bloodspots
• AC-B-092526-9E — Ancient Nine-Eye Dzi Bead with Bloodspot Patina, 45.5 mm

Further reading: How to Identify Genuine Ancient Dzi Beads · 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. Seven product photographs: four white-background lateral profile views showing both long faces and the full motif composition from different rotations; two angled views showing both drill hole apertures and the full barrel profile; one macro close-up showing the bloodspot patina detail and motif line character.

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