Blue agate Dzi ‘Ban Zhu’ bead, Liao dynasty

Dzi ‘Ban Zhu’ (板珠) bead, made of agate in an unusual blue-grey hue with concentric milky white bands forming the ritual image of the ‘Eye’. The piece has a convex circular shape with rounded edges and a transverse perforation. The natural stratification of the agate has been used to create an effect of depth. Liao dynasty (916–1125) or later.

Diameter: 1.8 cm

Weight: 5 g