White Copper Double Fish Dzi Bead Pendant

The pair of fish is one of the Eight Auspicious Symbols, and the order of those eight is fixed in Tibet: parasol, golden fish, treasure vase, lotus, right-turning conch, endless knot, victory banner, dharma wheel. Fish move through water without obstruction, so this one is usually read as ease and liveliness, and some take the pun on surplus as well. The two are normally shown head to tail, fins and scales symmetrical, and in metal the test is those forked tails. The eight are usually produced as a set and single pieces are uncommon; the fish is the most recognisable of them.

dZi beads are a different system altogether. In Tibet this kind of banded bead was treated as a protective object, its patterns mostly eyes, zigzags and stripes. There are many accounts of where they come from and how old they are, and the market carries both new work and old, at very different prices. This piece is white copper: the dZi pattern laid on metal is not the same thing as a real bead. A real bead is judged on material and on the wear of its surface, a metal piece on how clearly the pattern reads — not the same standard.

Two sets of symbols on one piece of white copper have to be spaced out: the fish above, tails facing, white space left between them; the dZi pattern below, drawn in raised lines with the eye motif centred and the sides narrowing. White copper is silver-white, which holds fine line well and also shows dirt; a fingerprint pressed into it needs wiping or the surface goes patchy within days. The patterns on the two faces run in opposite directions, which tells you it came from a two-sided mould, and it hangs without awkwardness either way round.

A pendant like this suits a thin cord or a narrow leather thong, hanging point down with the fish at the centre of the chest. On days with a high collar it can sit inside the clothing with only an outline showing; in summer, with an open neckline, the pattern is visible in full. Avoid thick braided cord — as the diameter goes up, the pendant shrinks in proportion. On pale skin a silver-white piece can blur into the background, and a dark brown cord will draw the boundary.

A dark cord is the steadier choice; a pale one next to a silver-white pendant blurs into a single field. Day-to-day wear is not a problem, except that the raised pattern gets polished by cloth over time and develops a faint bright edge, which is ordinary wear. If that bothers you, wear the pendant outside the clothing to reduce the rubbing, and bag it separately when it comes off rather than dropping it in with keys. A long plaque carries its weight low, so tie the knot firmly or it will swing from side to side as you walk.