Description A TIBETAN AGATE 'DZI' BEADTibet, 19th century or earlier. Cylindrical bead made from agate and etched with "2 eyes" motif. Dzi beads are considered to provide positive spiritual benefits. They are mostly worn as protective amulets, sometimes ground into a powder to be used in traditional Tibetan medicine. Artisans who made the dzi embellished the beads lines and shapes using ancient methods such as darkening with plant sugars and heat, bleaching and white line etching with natron and protecting certain areas with grease, clay, wax or similar substances.Condition: Good condition with minor wear commensurate with age. Provenance: Estate of Paolo Bertuzzi. Paolo Bertuzzi (1943-2022) was an engineer and fashion stylist from Bologna, Italy. Born as the son of Enrichetta Bertuzzi, the founder of Hettabretz, one of the most important leather merchants in Italy which crafted womenswear for royals and celebrities including The Rothschild family, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor. Paolo Bertuzzi later took over his mother's business and created exclusive pieces, some of which were exhibited in the Costume Institute at Metropolitan Museum of New York. He was also an avid collector of antiques for more than 60 years. His collection includes archaic and contemporary art, focusing mainly on Asian ancient pieces. Over decades he developed close relations with galleries, museums, curators, and auction houses while shaping his collection. He edited two books on Asian art, Goa Made. An Archaeological Discovery, about large-scale archaeological project carried out together with the Italian and Indonesian governments, and Majapahit, Masterpieces from a Forgotten Kingdom.Weight: 7.69 gDimensions: Length 4 cm