Ancient Beads and Mala Prayer Beads on 3Worlds

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ANTIQUE HUMAN BONE TIBETAN BUDDHIST MALA (Mala 01)

Price: £425 (including postage worldwide)

Origin: Tibet or Nepal
Age: 20 - 70 years approx
Diameter of Beads: 9mm (0.3 inches) approx

This antique mala (tenwa) is made of 108 human bone beads. Traditionally 108 human skulls are used and one bead is taken from the third eye of each skull, but I can not say if this has been the case in this mala, but it is a traditional human skull mala.

The beads are in good condition, and it comes in a simple modern black brocade bag. It has nice patina and signs of use. It a very useable mala for shamanic divination or Buddhist practice. Human bone malas are becoming increasingly rare now as the government of Nepal are being very strick about the export of human bones. This came to the West from Nepal in the 1970's before the law was introduced there, and it is a well used original ritual object that has been used for Buddhist practice.

For more information about malas read the article about them on the articles page of this website.

BONE TIBETAN BUDDHIST MALA (Mala 02)

Price: £22 (including postage worldwide)

Origin: Nepal
Age: 10 - 30 years approx
Diameter of Beads: 12mm (0.5 inches) approx

This mala (tenwa) is made of bone beads (probably yak).

The beads are in good condition. It has nice patina and signs of use. It a very useable mala for shamanic divination or Buddhist practice. The photo in the centre of the three is the most accurate colourwise.

For more information about malas read the article about them on the articles page of this website.

BONE TIBETAN BUDDHIST MALA (Mala 03)

Price: £22 (including postage worldwide)

Origin: Nepal
Age: 10 - 30 years approx
Diameter of Beads: 8mm (0.35 inches) approx

This mala (tenwa) is made of bone beads (probably yak).

The beads are in good condition. It has little patina or signs of use but is not new. There are two sets of bone counters attached to it too. It a very useable mala for shamanic divination or Buddhist practice.

For more information about malas read the article about them on the articles page of this website.

TIBETAN BUDDHIST MEtAL MALA COUNtERS (Mala Counters 01)

Price: £42 (including postage worldwide)

Origin: Nepal
Age: 10 - 30 years approx
Diameter of Beads: 7mm (0.35 inches) approx

A set of counters, one ending in a bell and other in a dorje. Counters are tied to malas and used to count (a little like an abacus) the number of mantras said with the male.

The counters are in good condition with a nice patina. They are fixed on an old leather strap.

For more information about malas read the article about them on the articles page of this website.

CARNELIAN CARVED MELON BEAD NECKLACE (Necklace 01)

Price: £85 (including postage worldwide)

Origin: Tibet or Nepal
Age: 25 - 100 years approx
Diameter of Beads: 15mm (0.6 inches) approx
Overall Length: 470mm (18.6 inches) approx

This necklace of beautiful carnelian beads have been shaped into the popular melon shape. The necklace is on it's original string which is done up by means of a bone button and a loop. The string is strong and could be kep as it is, or the necklace could be restrung with a modern catch.

Carnelian is associated with health and the heart in Tibetan medicine

The beads are in nice, but dirty condition. A very special necklace

CARNELIAN BEAD NECKLACE (Necklace 02)

Price: £45 (including postage worldwide)

Origin: Tibet or Nepal
Age: 25 - 100 years approx
length of Beads: 16mm (0.6 inches) approx
Overall Length: 487mm (19 inches) approx

This necklace of beautiful old carnelian beads. The necklace is on it's original string which is done up by means of a bone button and a loop. The string is strong and could be kep as it is, or the necklace could be restrung with a modern catch.

Carnelian is associated with health and the heart in Tibetan medicine

The beads are in nice, but dirty condition. A very special necklace

TIBETAN TANTRIC HUMAN BONE ORNAMENT SET (Necromancers Bone Apron)

(Tibetan: rus rgyan)
Origin: Tibet or Nepal
Age: 40 -80 years

An extremely rare, museum quality, beautifully hand carved, human bone Tantric bone ornament set comprisiong of full apron with cloth backing, two arm bands, two ankle bands, and hat.

Items like this come onto the market extremly infrequently, as the exporting of them from Nepal or Tibet is now prohibited. There are now some recently made copies of them on the market made in sweatshops in China, but this one came from a collector of ritual objects in the West together with other human bone ritual objects bought at the time and is therefore a real ritual object - not a copy.

Ornaments sets like this are worn in ceremonies by high ranking tantric lamas, ritual dancers and some tantric shamans.

The set is in good condition and is quite soundly strung. It is a wearable set, and could be put to use in the correct manner.

Although single carved bones from broken sets come on to the market from time to time - generally reaching prices between £500 and £1000 each - it is very rare indeed to find a complete set in such good usable condition.

The set is suitable for use by tantric practioners and Ngakpas etc., or could be displayed. It is probably a once in a life time change to obtain such a set.

A seperate page devoted to this set - with a wide range of photos can be found HERE

NINE EYE AGATE STONE DZI BEAD (item No: dZi 01)

Price: £24 (including postage worldwide)

Age: less than 30 years
Length: 48mm (1.8 inches) approx
Width at widest point: 15mm (0.6inches) approx

Beautiful made 9 eye real agate Tibetan dZi bead protection amulet.

FIVE EYE AGATE STONE DZI BEAD (item No: dZi 02)

Price: £24 (including postage worldwide)

Age: less than 30 years
Length: 46mm (1.8 inches) approx
Width at widest point: 14mm (0.6inches) approx

Beautiful made 5 eye real agate Tibetan dZi bead protection amulet.

SIXTEEN EYE AGATE STONE DZI BEAD (item No: dZi 03)

Price: £24 (including postage worldwide)

Age: less than 30 years
Length: 49mm (1.9 inches) approx
Width at widest point: 14mm (0.6inches) approx

Beautiful made, rare 16 eye real agate Tibetan dZi bead protection amulet.

PAIR OF MATCHING AGATE STONE PHUM DZI BEAD (item No: dZi 04)

Price: £35 (including postage worldwide)

Age: less than 30 years
Length: 15mm (0.6 inches) approx
Width: 12mm (0.5 inches) approx

Matched pair of nice, beautiful longevity design, real agate Tibetan phum dZi beads.

TWO EYE AGATE STONE DZI BEAD (item No: dZi 05)

Price: £26 (including postage worldwide)

Age: less than 30 years
Length: 27mm (1.1 inches) approx
Width: 10mm (0.3 inches) approx

Beautiful made 2 eye real agate Tibetan dZi bead protection amulet.

THREE EYE AGATE STONE DZI BEAD (item No: dZi 06)

Price: £26 (including postage worldwide)

Age: less than 30 years
Length: 44mm (1.7 inches) approx
Width: 12mm (0.5 inches) approx

Beautiful made 3 eye real agate Tibetan dZi bead protection amulet.

THREE EYE AGATE STONE DZI BEAD (item No: dZi 07

Price: £22 (including postage worldwide)

Age: less than 30 years
Length: 26mm (1.0 inches) approx
Width: 11mm (0.4 inches) approx

Beautiful made 3 eye real agate Tibetan dZi bead protection amulet.

TWO EYE AGATE STONE DZI BEAD (item No: dZi 08)

Price: £22 (including postage worldwide)

Age: less than 30 years
Length: 33mm (1.3 inches) approx
Width: 11mm (0.5 inches) approx

Beautiful made 3 eye real agate Tibetan dZi bead protection amulet.

THREE EYE DRAGON VEINS AGATE STONE DZI BEAD (item No: dZi 09)

Price: £30 (including postage worldwide)

Age: less than 30 years
Length: 43mm (1.7 inches) approx
Width: 12mm (0.5 inches) approx

Beautiful 3 eye real agate Dragon Veined Tibetan dZi bead.

LONG LIFE DESIGN AGATE STONE DZI BEAD (item No: dZi 10)

Price: £30 (including postage worldwide)

Age: 30 years or more
Length: 40mm (1.6 inches) approx
Width: 15mm (0.6 inches) approx across the widest face

Recently (but could be older than 30 years) made real agate longevity design Tibetan dZi bead.

TEN EYE AGATE STONE DZI BEAD (item No: dZi 11)

Price: £26 (including postage worldwide)

Age: less than 30 years
Length: 40mm (1.6 inches) approx
Width: 12mm (0.5 inches) approx

Beautiful made 10 eye real agate Tibetan dZi bead protection amulet.

THREE EYE AGATE STONE DZI BEAD (item No: dZi 12)

Price: £28 (including postage worldwide)

Age: less than 30 years
Length: 46mm (1.8 inches) approx
Width: 12mm (0.5 inches) approx

Beautiful made 3 eye real agate Tibetan dZi bead protection amulet.

COLLECTION OF FIVE ANCIENT EGYPTIAN HAND MADE STONE BEADS (item No: Egypt 01)

Price: £32 (including postage worldwide)

Age: 2200 - 2600 years
Length of largest bead: 13mm (0.55 inches) approx
Width: 10mm (0.4 inches) approx

Five, late period Ancient Egyptian, white quartzite hand made stone beads. In good condition and capable of being threaded and worn.

CHUNG DZI STONE BEAD (item No: dZi 04)

Price: £14 (including postage worldwide)

Origin: Nepal
Age: 10 - 20 years
Length: 31mm (1.2 inches) approx

Naturally banded, agate Chung dzi stone.

Chung or inferior dzi stones have been worn in Tibet and Nepal for thousands of years. Made from Agate, real dzi stones are skillfully etched with patterns, and old examples can cost many thousand of US dollars each.

Chung or infereior dzi are made from natural banded agate, and although good examples of old chung dzi beads can cost as much as $1000 or more, they are much cheaper than real dzi.

Dzi and chung dzi beads are worn for protection - it is said if a bead breaks it has saved you from a fatal incident.

This is a nice example of a fairly recently made chung dzi bead, and is supplied with a leather cord to enable it to be worn around the neck as a protective and decorative bead.

Comes with a simple leather cord to enable you to wear it if you wish.

CHUNG DZI STONE BEAD (item No: dZi 05)

Price: £14 (including postage worldwide)

Origin: Nepal
Age: 10 - 20 years
Length: 31mm (1.2 inches) approx

Naturally banded, agate Chung dzi stone.

Chung or infereior dzi are made from natural banded agate, and although good examples of old chung dzi beads can cost as much as $1000 or more, they are much cheaper than real dzi.

Dzi and chung dzi beads are worn for protection - it is said if a bead breaks it has saved you from a fatal incident.

This is a nice example of a fairly recently made chung dzi bead, and is supplied with a leather cord to enable it to be worn around the neck as a protective and decorative bead.

Comes with a simple leather cord to enable you to wear it if you wish.

TIBETAN FAUX CORAL BEADS (Item No. Bead 01)

Price: £28 (including postage worldwide)

Origin: Tibet or Nepal
Age: 10 - 30 years approx
Length of longest bead: 15mm (0.6 inches approx)
Width of longest bead: 14mm (0.55 inches approx)

A mixed bag of recently made faux coral beads from Tibet or Nepal. Real coral is expensive and faux coral has been used for centuries made from glass and in more recent years resins. These beads are made from resin. They range in colour fromornage coral to deep red coral and do look like the real thing, including surface texture on some of the beads.

Price: £8 for 5 beads (including postage worldwide)

Origin: Tibet or Nepal
Age: 30 - 100 years approx
Length: 15mm (0.6 inches approx)
Width: 9mm (0.3 inches approx)

Nice old dark blue, lapis coloured glass beads from an old Tibetan necklace. 10 beads left in stock.

Price: £21 (including postage worldwide)

Origin: Tibet or Nepal
Age: 10 - 30 years approx
Length: 25mm (1.0 inches approx)
Width: 19mm (0.7 inches approx)

Nice matched pair of silver capped lapis beads.

TIBETAN DARK BROWN-RED 'SHERPA CORAL' CLASS BEADS (Item No. Sherpa Coral 01)

Price: £1.25 each or 5 for £5 (including postage worldwide)

Origin: Tibet or Nepal
Age: 20 - 100 years approx
Length: 13mm (0.5 inches approx)
Width: 11mm (0.4 inches approx)

Antique, deep brown-red, Sherpa coral glass beads. They were originally made in China as trade beads, and are popular in Tibet as they are much cheaper than real red coral. They come in deep pink or a rich red colour, the red ones are especially sought after as they red is a protective colour. The beads are in good condition, with old dirt in small cracks and chips which shows their age.

They come from a necklace I have taken apart and so I am selling the beads seperalty. They can be worn around the neck on a cord or used in craft projects.

TIBETAN 'SHERPA CORAL' CLASS BEADS (Item No. Sherpa Coral 01)

Price: £1.50 each or 4 for £5 (including postage worldwide)

Origin: Tibet or Nepal
Age: 30 - 100 years approx
Length: 12mm (0.5 inches approx)
Width: 14mm (0.55 inches approx)

Old, deep red, Sherpa coral glass beads. They were originally made in China as trade beads, and are popular in Tibet as they are much cheaper than real red coral. They come in deep pink or a rich red colour, the red ones are especially sought after as they red is a protective colour. The beads are in good condition, with old dirt in small cracks and chips which shows their age.

They come from a necklace I have taken apart and so I am selling the beads seperalty. They can be worn around the neck on a cord or used in craft projects.

SHAMAN'S JINGLE CONES - (Item No. Jingle Cones 01)

Price: £17.50 each (including postage worldwide)

Origin: Mongolia
Age: Recently made
Length: 82mm (3.3 inches approx)

A set of three, hand-made, iron, shaman's jingle cones, fixed on an iron ring.

Jingles like this are used all over Siberia and Mongolia, and even appear on some Nepalese shamans objects. They are often tied to costumes, drums and other objects.

I have managed to obtain a larger quantity of recently made cones from another source to the ones I had, and at a lower price. These cones are hand made by a Mongolian shaman, who also does metal work, called Budzana who lives close to Ulaanbaatar.

Numbers are limited - I do not know if I will be able to get any more once they have sold out.

Currently in stock - 40 sets.

(Metal jingle cones, a tiger bell, and other items tied onto an Evenk shaman's costume)

TIBETAN 'TIGER BELLS'

LARGE TIBETAN 'TIGER BELLS' - (Item No. Tiger Bell 001)
Origin: Tibet
Age: New
Length: 34mm (1.25 inches approx)
Width: 26mm (1 inch approx)
Price: £3.75 each or 5 Bells for £16 (including postage worldwide)

MEDIUM TIBETAN 'TIGER BELLS' - (Item No. Tiger Bell 002)
Origin: Tibet
Age: New
Length: 20mm (0.75 inches approx)
Width: 16mm (0.6 inch approx)
Price: £2.75 each or 5 Bells for £13 (including postage worldwide)

SMALL TIBETAN 'TIGER BELLS' - (Item No. Tiger Bell 003)
Origin: Tibet
Age: New
Length: 16mm (0.6 inches approx)
Width: 13mm (0.5 inch approx)
Price: £1.50 each or 5 Bells for £7 (including postage worldwide)

Found all over Asia from the South right up to Siberia these brass bells are always associated with shamanism, protection and magic. Designs of the bells vary over time and region, but these are fairly typical bells.

Prized by Siberian shamans who often wear them sown onto their coats, in other cultures they are tied to children's ankles as protective charms, tied to drums and worn around the neck.

They have been made for centuries and although are not easy to find are still being made.

They have a loud sound.