Object: Strand of Dzi-Taklok Beads
Date: ca. 500 BCE – 100 CE
Culture: Tibetan
Material: Agate, with crystal inclusions
Dimensions: Length 44 cm; Weight 200 g
Colors: Predominantly yellow and blue, with multicolored variations
Description:
This strand of Dzi-Taklok beads represents a rare example of early Tibetan beadwork, dated between the late first millennium BCE and the early first millennium CE. The beads are fashioned from agate, exhibiting crystal-like translucency and a distinctive polychrome palette of yellow, blue, and related hues. Objects of this type are associated with ritual and symbolic functions within Tibetan culture, and their preservation over two millennia underscores both the durability of the material and the cultural value ascribed to such ornaments.




