Men's Prayer Beads, Jindai Cedar, Shaku-Ni Furiwake Style, Shingon Sect, Blue Agate Finish

Men's Prayer Beads, Jindai Cedar, Shaku-Ni Furiwake Style, Shingon Sect, Blue Agate Finish

Jindai cedar is a rare and mysterious material formed when wood was buried in volcanic ash thousands of years ago and, rather than decaying, gradually became semi-fossilized over as much as 2,000 years. Freshly split, the wood is egg-yellow; on contact with air it turns blue, and finally settles into a calm ash-brown tone. Like all wood beads, it grows more comfortable in the hand and richer in color and luster the more it is used -- part of the enduring appeal of wood prayer beads, which only deepen in character with time. Here it is finished with blue agate on the top bead, parent bead, and dew bead (tsuyudama); agate's natural sheen and translucency give the wearer an added touch of elegance. Made up in Shingon sect style: in Shingon sect tradition, this sect is sometimes credited as the first to bring prayer beads to Japan, and its formal strand closely resembles the universal style used across the eight major sects, typically featuring two tassels each on front and back strung with a red cord. A slightly longer version of this same style is also carried by pilgrims on the Shikoku pilgrimage.

Product Specifications

Item Number: 6912360000000
Parent Bead (Oyadama): Approx. 0.55 in (1.4 cm) – Blue Agate
Main Beads (Shudama): Approx. 0.31 in x 0.28 in (0.8 x 0.7 cm) – Jindai Cedar
Top Bead (Tendama): Approx. 0.24 in (0.6 cm) – Blue Agate
Note: Shingon sect, shaku-ni furiwake style.