Vintage Seven Stripe Chung Dzi, 57.7×12.6mm, warm dark chocolate-brown, asymmetric taper (V-052222-7SChung)

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

The two ends of this bead are not the same shape, and the longer you look, the more that asymmetry defines it.

The left end tapers to a sharp near-point. The right end is broader and more rounded, with a warm honey-brown tip lighter than the dark chocolate body. Rather than an evenly balanced spindle, the bead has a teardrop or bullet-like silhouette that looks different from each direction — clear in every side photograph and in the two tip views (Images 5 and 6). At 57.7mm it is one of the longest Chung dzi in the collection.

The ground is a warm dark chocolate-brown with natural banding — close to black along the upper ridge and at the pointed end, warmer across the lower body and broader tip. Both end caps show a warm honey to golden-brown agate. The seven cream-white stripes are clean, bright and evenly spaced, the central bands slightly wider than those toward the tips, with strong contrast on every face.

The surface has a semi-gloss to satin finish — the look of a bead made around the year 2000 that has seen some twenty-five years of handling. Fine speckle and micro-pitting appear across the ground in the close-up photographs. A small ink marking from a previous seller is visible on the dark ground in Image 7.

This is a vintage bead, made around 2000 using the traditional dzi crafting technique. It is clearly younger than our ancient seven stripe Chung dzi (Ac-081020-7SChung, Ac-041320-7SChung, Ac-080620-7SChung) and the antique At-061920-7SChung, and we describe it exactly as that.

The Seven Stripe Chung Dzi

Seven is a meaningful number in Tibetan Buddhism — the seven offering bowls, the seven steps of the newborn Buddha, the seven-branch prayer. A seven stripe Chung dzi (七線天珠) carries seven unbroken circuits around its body, symbols of protection and continuity. With Chung dzi, more stripes do not mean more power; the best bead is the one whose look pleases you. A vintage seven stripe is a welcoming way into the Chung tradition. Learn more in our Chung dzi guide.

Specifications

• Motif: Seven stripe Chung (七線); seven cream-white bands on warm dark chocolate-brown
• Length: 57.7mm
• Diameter: 12.6mm
• Form: Elongated, asymmetric fusiform — one sharply tapered end, one broader rounded end
• Material: Natural agate with natural banding; honey-brown tips; semi-gloss to satin finish
• Age: Vintage, made around 2000 using the traditional dzi crafting technique
• Condition: Fine surface speckle and micro-pitting; small ink marking (Image 7); no chips, cracks or medicine digs
• Bloodspots: None
• Product ID: V-052222-7SChung
• Collection: Chung Dzi | New and Vintage Dzi

You May Also Like

• Ancient Seven Stripe Chung Dzi, Near-Black (Ac-081020-7SChung)
• Ancient Seven Stripe Chung Dzi, Honey-Brown (Ac-041320-7SChung)
• Antique Nine Stripe Chung Dzi with Bloodspots (At-110223-9SBS)
• Antique Five Stripe Chung Dzi, Terracotta (At-070622-5SChung)

Further Reading

• Chung Dzi Meaning: The Striped Dzi Guide
• How to Choose a Dzi Bead: Buying Guide

Seven stripes, one of the longest in the collection, and two ends that do not match — exactly as the stone decided.