Very rare ceremonial rice cutter from the Karen people (this particular one is from Northern Thailand). This knife would only be used on the first cutting of the season and as with most all of the rice cultivators in Asia there is a great deal of ritual and importance given to this act, regardless of the religion i.e. Buddhist, animist, Hindu etc. The bone handle, given its size, I am guessing to be from the leg of a muntjac (barking deer) and is most likely to be much older (circa ...click for details
Fine and rare Naga child’s cowrie shell necklace from northwest Burma on hand woven macramé cotton cord. These is an old set, circa 60 years with an excellent worn natural patina, please note that each bead is hand carved to nest into one another. Cowrie shells has been used been used as money and jewelry since just about the beginning of the human race. Please note that this is a genuinely old Naga artifact- most of what is being offered on the internet these days are new pieces a ...click for details
Very fine old Cambodian red and black lacquered betel box constructed of wood with carved bamboo trim. Crack in the lid but no restoration (possibly the rim of the lid has been repainted as the color is a brighter red than the rest of the body). Any lacquer coming from Southeast Asia with no signs of use is a strong indicator that it’s new. Please view previous listings on my site of Cambodian lacquer for more insight and personal musings into this craft. Circa 50 to 60 years old. D: 22 ...click for details
Exceptionally fine and rare Khmer black lacquer “pillow box” with an abstract floral pattern. Definitely an old pre Khmer Rouge piece, dating 40 to 50 years old, possibly more. The unique decoration makes this a one of a kind piece, the construction is typically Cambodian in that it is constructed with thin small planks of wood and is coated with raw lacquer on the bottom, not to mention this was actually purchased several years ago in Cambodia, the attention to detail on the design is ...click for details
Unique red and black lacquer food container from Cambodia with copper tipped finial and carved floral embellishment at the top of the lid. This piece seems to have genuine wear and a couple small restorations but I would not date it much older than 40 years, bear in mind that during the Khmer Rouge reign (1975-1979) no arts and crafts were made. The listing as a wedding container is just what the vendor in Phnom Penh said it was, but the similarities to the Burmese hsun-ok (used as f ...click for details
Fine and rare old hand spun and woven cotton textile from Luang Prabang, Laos with indigo tiger and monkey motif and key fret side borders. Comparing the dyes (note the well toned silk threads in last enlargement) to other dated Vietnam War era pieces, I saw during a recent visit, I would put this piece to at least 60 years or older. Excellent condition and mounted on a contemporary handwoven cotton backing and border. L: 128cm/51in and H: 56cm/22in (mounted dimensions 88cm/35in x ...click for details
Stunning three paneled Tujia supplementary weft blanket from Guizhou China circa 40 to 60 years old, all hand woven, spun and dyed threads except for the commercially made upper and lower borders that has been sewn onto this piece. It is the only Tujia Blanket I have ever seen with a black background. Excellent condition, H: 117cm/46in and W: 113cm/44.5in (total length with border 193cm/76in).
Fine embroidery panel from the Yao, sometimes referred as the Mien, ethnic group from northwest Laos near the Vietnamese border. This piece is the back panel from of a woman’s jacket with silk embroidered thread on hand woven indigo dyed cloth and is in excellent condition, circa 60 years old. L: 58cm/22.8in and W: 50cm/19.8in.
Luscious all hand spun and woven with gold threads, panel from a vintage Varanasi, Indian wedding sari, circa 60 to 70 years old. I would describe the colors as pigeon blood ruby red with subtle gentian floral scrolls intermingled with the gold thread medallions, which I might add is made of genuine low karat gold metal. This is double backed on cotton and silk with a “raw” silk border and polyester end trims. There are a few threadbare areas but with the silk backing they are ...click for details
Fine old Burmese lacquer box with a sieve insert lid, this piece is most likely from the Shan State and was used as a food receptacle, as the small holes would keep the bugs out. Circa 30 to 50 years old, it is very thin and lightweight and the body is constructed of woven bamboo. Excellent original condition with minor lacquer loss at the bottom’s edge as to be expected from a genuinely old piece, unlike so many brand new or heavily restored Burmese lacquer pieces being offered as 1 ...click for details
