S925 Silver Tibetan Buddhist Through-hole Spacer Bead

A spacer bead is not the lead in a strand, but its place matters. The top bead sits on the guru bead, waist beads flank the sides, spacers sit between the main beads, and the disciple beads close the end. A through hole runs straight from side to side, the cord goes through the middle, and the bead stays true. Put them in the wrong places and the proportions of the strand fall apart: a top bead too large drags at the neck, a waist bead too small is invisible. Top and waist beads should have holes of the same bore so the cord runs smoothly. With the places right, the whole strand breathes.

Each of the three subjects has its own account. The Lord of the Charnel Ground appears as a skeleton, a male and a female dancing face to face, which speaks of impermanence; Yellow Jambhala holds a jewel and a mongoose and heads the five Jambhalas; the ruyi cloud pattern is the plainest, cloud heads curling into ruyi shapes with no figure at all, read for line alone. The three differ widely in labour: the cloud is the least work, the charnel lord the most, since a skull's eye sockets go false the moment they are cut too deep. The charnel lord looks fierce, but in Tibetan practice he speaks of impermanence, not evil. The cloud heads should curl round; curl them square and it becomes key fret.

The through hole has to be straight and chamfered at the mouth. Without a chamfer the cord rubs back and forth and a nylon cord frays within months, cotton sooner. Silver is smooth inside, which is easier than wood or stone. A bead with a crooked hole sits at an angle, and the whole strand runs wrong. The mouth of the hole should not scrape the hand; if it does, run a fine sanding stick round it.

A spacer is usually a little smaller than the main beads so it does not compete. Dark old beads against silver give a strong contrast; pale wooden beads against silver read gentle. Do not mix two subjects in one strand, which scatters it, and the charnel lord next to a wealth deity in particular says nothing together. Two of the same subject should sit opposite each other. Let the spacer colour follow the main beads: dark main beads, pale spacers, and the layering comes out.

Clamped between beads, a silver spacer wears hardest at its two ends and in time shows bright rings. That is normal wear and needs nothing done. To clean, take the strand apart and wipe the silver separately with a soft cloth; do not soak it with the cord on. When a cord breaks and is restrung, blow the hole clean. Turn the silver against the beads now and then so the wear spreads instead of sitting in one spot.