Mālā of one hundred and eight red jade beads, Qing dynasty

Long necklace composed of one hundred and eight spherical beads carved in dark red jade, with variations towards brown, crimson and ochre tones. The beads are polished and have a smooth finish, with natural chromatic irregularities. The set is assembled on modern red thread with visible knots at the end and three additional larger beads, following the traditional pattern of Buddhist mālā. The number of 108 beads responds to the sacred number in Buddhism, used for the repetition of mantras during meditation. The three additional beads at the end symbolize the “jewels of Buddhism”: Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.  Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) or later.

Beads diameter: 11-12 mm

Total weight: 210 g