Antique Single Stripe Bow-shaped Chung Dzi, 38.1×11.5×8.9mm, tricolour natural agate (At-061526-1SBow)

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

The stripe on this bead does not sit between two matching ends. The stone chose three entirely different colours, and the bow-shaped body moves through all of them at once.

Across the centre runs a single band of deep charcoal-grey agate — not pitch-black, but a dense, cool dark grey that reads almost architectural. To its left the agate turns a cool, translucent grey-white, milky and near-glassy in strong light. To its right it shifts to a warm peach-orange with soft brown inclusion pockets, organic and uneven — the record of how the stone formed long before it became a bead.

The shape sets it apart from other single stripe Chung dzi. It is neither spindle nor barrel but bow-shaped: the upper edge curves outward in a gentle arc while the lower edge runs comparatively flat, so the bead seems to lean in one direction. At 8.9mm across its narrower axis, it is also slightly flattened rather than round in cross-section.

The body has a high-gloss polish, catching long highlights across the grey-white and peach-orange areas (Images 2 and 4). The end (Image 7) is a little more satin, from different wear at the tip. The dark band shows fine surface scoring from long handling. Two small pinholes are visible on the body (Images 5 and 7). No chips, cracks or medicine digs.

The dark stripe is natural: a colour band in the agate itself, with no etching applied. This places it alongside our Single Stripe Chung Dzi in Natural Bicolour Agate (At-020726-Chung), which is a short, wide spindle with a soft ivory-to-dark gradient and estimated at around 500 years. This bead, estimated at 200–300 years, has a sharper three-colour composition and its distinctive bow shape.

The Single Stripe Chung Dzi

The single stripe Chung dzi (一線瓊珠) is one of the most direct expressions in the Tibetan bead tradition. One band circling the body marks an unbroken boundary — above and below, earth and sky. It is associated with continuous success and unbroken flow, and has long been favoured by traders and businesspeople for the continuity of fortune. Here the stripe is the dark centre flanked by light, reversing the usual reading and giving the bead a quiet, contemplative feel. With Chung dzi, more stripes do not mean more power; the right bead is the one that pleases you. Learn more in our Chung dzi guide.

Specifications

• Motif: Single stripe (一線); natural charcoal-grey band between translucent grey-white and warm peach-orange zones
• Length: 38.1mm
• Diameter: 11.5mm (max); 8.9mm (narrow axis)
• Form: Bow-shaped, with a convex upper edge, flatter lower edge and slightly flattened cross-section
• Material: Natural three-colour agate, no etching
• Age: Antique, estimated 200–300 years
• Condition: Fine surface scoring on the dark band; two small pinholes (Images 5 and 7); no chips, cracks or medicine digs
• Bloodspots: None
• Product ID: At-061526-1SBow
• Collection: Antique Dzi Beads | Chung Dzi | Natural Agate Dzi

You May Also Like

• Single Stripe Chung Dzi, Natural Bicolour Agate (At-020726-Chung)
• Ancient Single Stripe Chung Dzi with Bloodspots (Ac-061426-1SChungBS)
• Ancient Seven Stripe Chung Dzi, Honey-Brown (Ac-041320-7SChung)
• Antique Five Stripe Chung Dzi, Terracotta (At-070622-5SChung)

Further Reading

• Chung Dzi Meaning: The Striped Dzi Guide
• Natural Dzi Beads: When the Stone Writes Its Own Story

One stripe. Three colours. One body that bends.