The Bead is a Key Item that appears in Breath of Fire IV. There are two of them in the game, both located inside the tomb. They are used to proceed past obstacles such as submersible pillars and break upon use.
Role in Breath of Fire IV
Ryu and the others need to traverse the tomb on their way to Astana. Twice, their path is blocked. In order to proceed, they need to find beads that obliterate their obstacles. They can eventually move on.