Tibetan woman (1920s)

Various ancient Tiger dZi

Antique turquoise bead (Tibet).

Ancient opaque stone bead with quartz veins. 

Sourced in Himachal Pradesh. 15 mm

Large ancient four striped Chung dZi with damage. 

Sourced in Nepal. approx 70 mm x 17.89 mm

Ancient carnelian beads.

Ancient carnelians with 'infinity' decoration.

Ancient carnelians with 'infinity' or 'endless knot' decoration.

Ancient decorated carnelian beads.

Three ancient banded agate beads.

Old rosewood mala with ivory and shell guru bead.

Old ivory disc bead mala with silver counters.

Ancient round agate eye bead (approx 14 mm). Sourced in Northern India.

Rare ancient decorated carnelian bead.

Ancient banded agate bead (rare colour). Sourced in Nepal. 32 mm x 14 mm

Large ancient banded agate bead (Sourced in Nepal). 45mm x 17 mm

Various ancient decorated stone beads.

Various ancient beads.

Various ancient decorated beads and a small ancient agate eye bead.

Ancient Luk Mik dZi

Ancient Phum dZi (centre).

The round ancient longevity bead is much larger than normally seen (13.19mm). Most beads of this type are usually smaller than 10 mm. A small ancient three eyed dZi (three dots) is also shown.

Ancient decorated agate with the Longevity design.

Ancient decorated carnelian with three dots or eyes.

Ancient banded agate bead.

Ancient Luk Mik dZi.

Ancient carnelian Luk Mik.

Ancient agate eye bead.

Ancient Phum dZi.

Antique ivory pendant with zoomorphic carving. It could possibly represent a salamander but also looks rather feline in nature.

Ancient three eyed dZi bead. 40.66 mm x 13.12 mm

Old counters with stylised cloud design.

Old pair of mala counters with vajra (dorje) and bell (drilbu)

Silver counters with turquoise and coral inlay.

Old counters with Vajra

Old counters with a Bell or Drilbu

Old silver counters with Tibetan cloud design

Old counters with Tibetan cloud design

Old counters with vajra

Old counters with vajra

Old counters with coral inlay

Old counters with vajra (front).

Old silver counters with stylised vajra inlaid with red coral.

Counters are primarily used to help keep track of mantra and prayer recitations and are usually strung as a pair. One set will keep track of each hundred recitations, up to 1000. The other set will keep track of each thousand recitations, up to 10,000. Once 10,000 recitations have been achieved a small separate marker is used on the mala. In this way, many millions of mantras can be recorded by a Tibetan Buddhist during the course of one's lifetime. Each of the counter sets should be strung with 11 beads (including the more ornate pendant bead at the bottom). Only the ten smaller beads on each set are used for counting. The pendant bead which hangs at the very bottom is usually a vajra (dorje) or bell (drilbu) but may also include other Vajrayana symbols or stylised Tibetan motifs (see the counters with clouds). Some are plain and others may be inlaid with coral or turquoise. The counter beads are usually made from silver or other types of metal. Old counters are normally strung on leather cord.

Antique amber beads. Sourced in the Himalayan Kingdom of Nepal.

Ancient round agates with the longevity decoration.

Ancient decorated agates (Longevity dZi).

Ancient Luk Mik dZi.

Various ancient beads.

Ancient bicone stone bead (probably artificially coloured quartz). Sourced in Nepal.