29th Apr, 2025 15:00
A Spiritual Bang: Unveiling Our New Space with a No-Reserve Dzi Bead Auction
3
A NINE-EYE DZI BEAD
Sold for €1,040
including Buyer's Premium
Tibet, 19th century or earlier. Of elongated tubular form, featuring nine well-defined eyes etched to the surface. Skillfully crafted from agate with a striking color pattern. Central drilling allowing for suspension as a pendant.
Provenance: Estate of Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022) who was a fashion stylist from Bologna, Italy. He was the son of Enrichetta Bertuzzi, founder of Hettabretz, a noted Italian fashion company with customers such as the Rothschild family, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor. Paolo Bertuzzi later took over his mother’s business and designed exclusive pieces, some of which were exhibited in the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, USA. He was also an avid collector of antiques for more than 60 years. His collection includes both archaic and contemporary art, and he edited two important books about Asian art, Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery, about a large-scale archaeological project carried out with the Italian and Indonesian governments, and Majapahit, Masterpieces from a Forgotten Kingdom.
Condition: Smoothened chips to the edges and some loss to the etched pattern. Otherwise, good condition with typical traces of use and age-related wear.
Weight: 13 g
Dimensions: Length 4.9 cm
Eye Dzi beads are among the most revered and powerful in Tibetan and Himalayan spiritual traditions. The eyes symbolize heightened perception, wisdom, and divine protection, serving as a guardian against negative energies, misfortune, and spiritual harm. In Buddhist culture, ‘seeing’ represents enlightenment, as the eyes of the Buddha are said to perceive both the material and spiritual worlds. They are most often worn as protective amulets and are sometimes ground into a powder for use in traditional Tibetan medicine. The artisans who make the Dzi embellish the lines and shapes of the beads using ancient methods such as darkening with plant sugar and heat, bleaching and etching white lines with natron, and protecting certain areas with fat, clay, wax, or a similar substance. The number of eyes on a Dzi bead further influences its specific meaning and purpose.
The Nine-Eye Dzi bead is one of the most powerful and sought-after Dzi patterns, symbolizing wisdom, protection, and ultimate success. In Tibetan Buddhism, the number nine is associated with completeness and supreme spiritual attainment, representing the Nine Planets and their cosmic influence. It is believed that wearing a Nine-Eye Dzi attracts prosperity, wealth, and good fortune, while also removing obstacles and negative energies. This bead is favored by those seeking leadership, and a strong spiritual connection, as it is thought to bring divine guidance and enlightenment.
Tibet, 19th century or earlier. Of elongated tubular form, featuring nine well-defined eyes etched to the surface. Skillfully crafted from agate with a striking color pattern. Central drilling allowing for suspension as a pendant.
Provenance: Estate of Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022) who was a fashion stylist from Bologna, Italy. He was the son of Enrichetta Bertuzzi, founder of Hettabretz, a noted Italian fashion company with customers such as the Rothschild family, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor. Paolo Bertuzzi later took over his mother’s business and designed exclusive pieces, some of which were exhibited in the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, USA. He was also an avid collector of antiques for more than 60 years. His collection includes both archaic and contemporary art, and he edited two important books about Asian art, Goa Made - An Archaeological Discovery, about a large-scale archaeological project carried out with the Italian and Indonesian governments, and Majapahit, Masterpieces from a Forgotten Kingdom.
Condition: Smoothened chips to the edges and some loss to the etched pattern. Otherwise, good condition with typical traces of use and age-related wear.
Weight: 13 g
Dimensions: Length 4.9 cm
Eye Dzi beads are among the most revered and powerful in Tibetan and Himalayan spiritual traditions. The eyes symbolize heightened perception, wisdom, and divine protection, serving as a guardian against negative energies, misfortune, and spiritual harm. In Buddhist culture, ‘seeing’ represents enlightenment, as the eyes of the Buddha are said to perceive both the material and spiritual worlds. They are most often worn as protective amulets and are sometimes ground into a powder for use in traditional Tibetan medicine. The artisans who make the Dzi embellish the lines and shapes of the beads using ancient methods such as darkening with plant sugar and heat, bleaching and etching white lines with natron, and protecting certain areas with fat, clay, wax, or a similar substance. The number of eyes on a Dzi bead further influences its specific meaning and purpose.
The Nine-Eye Dzi bead is one of the most powerful and sought-after Dzi patterns, symbolizing wisdom, protection, and ultimate success. In Tibetan Buddhism, the number nine is associated with completeness and supreme spiritual attainment, representing the Nine Planets and their cosmic influence. It is believed that wearing a Nine-Eye Dzi attracts prosperity, wealth, and good fortune, while also removing obstacles and negative energies. This bead is favored by those seeking leadership, and a strong spiritual connection, as it is thought to bring divine guidance and enlightenment.
Zacke Live Online Bidding
Our online bidding platform makes it easier than ever to bid in our auctions! When you bid through our website, you can take advantage of our premium buyer's terms without incurring any additional online bidding surcharges.
To bid live online, you'll need to create an online account. Once your account is created and your identity is verified, you can register to bid in an auction up to 12 hours before the auction begins.
Intended Spend and Bid Limits
When you register to bid in an online auction, you will need to share your intended maximum spending budget for the auction. We will then review your intended spend and set a bid limit for you. Once you have pre-registered for a live online auction, you can see your intended spend and bid limit by going to 'Account Settings' and clicking on 'Live Bidding Registrations'.
Your bid limit will be the maximum amount you can bid during the auction. Your bid limit is for the hammer price and is not affected by the buyer’s premium and VAT. For example, if you have a bid limit of €1,000 and place two winning bids for €300 and €200, then you will only be able to bid €500 for the rest of the auction. If you try to place a bid that is higher than €500, you will not be able to do so.
Online Absentee and Telephone Bids
You can now leave absentee and telephone bids on our website!
Absentee Bidding
Once you've created an account and your identity is verified, you can leave your absentee bid directly on the lot page. We will contact you when your bids have been confirmed.
Telephone Bidding
Once you've created an account and your identity is verified, you can leave telephone bids online. We will contact you when your bids have been confirmed.
Classic Absentee and Telephone Bidding Form
You can still submit absentee and telephone bids by email or fax if you prefer. Simply fill out the Absentee Bidding/Telephone bidding form and return it to us by email at office@zacke.at or by fax at +43 (1) 532 04 52 20. You can download the PDF from our Upcoming Auctions page.
How-To Guides
How to Create Your Personal Zacke Account
How to Register to Bid on Zacke Live
How to Leave Absentee Bids Online
How to Leave Telephone Bids Online
中文版本的操作指南
创建新账号
注册Zacke Live在线直播竞拍（免平台费）
缺席投标和电话投标
Third-Party Bidding
We partner with best-in-class third-party partners to make it easy for you to bid online in the channel of your choice. Please note that if you bid with one of our third-party online partners, then there will be a live bidding surcharge on top of your final purchase price. You can find all of our fees here. Here's a full list of our third-party partners:
- 51 Bid Live
- EpaiLive
- ArtFoxLive
- Invaluable
- LiveAuctioneers
- the-saleroom
- lot-tissimo
- Drouot
Please note that we place different auctions on different platforms. For example, in general, we only place Chinese art auctions on 51 Bid Live.
Bidding in Person
You must register to bid in person and will be assigned a paddle at the auction. Please contact us at office@zacke.at or +43 (1) 532 04 52 for the latest local health and safety guidelines.
