Rosewood 108 Bead Mala

One hundred and eight rosewood beads on a knotted cord.

The 108 count is the traditional length of a Buddhist mala, one bead for each turn of the mantra, with a larger guru bead marking where the round begins and ends. Rosewood is the wood of the old scholar's desk, dense and close-grained, and it takes on a deeper colour the more it is handled. The beads here run from amber through to a dark oxblood, no two alike, so the string reads as wood rather than as a uniform brown.

Worn as a necklace, or wrapped four times around the wrist. Chosen for someone starting a daily practice, or as a first mala for a student who has only ever borrowed one.