This antique Chinese offering cup would have been filled with water for Buddha and left at the temple alter. It dates from WanLi Reign during the Ming Dynasty.
The cup is black lacquer, peach shaped for long life, has a footed bottom, and ornate finger stops on each side. It has several nicks and chips as is appropriate for its age. The cup is 1.25 inches high and 3 inches across at the widest point.
This beautifully aged antique Buddhist slit drum is carved with the phoenix and dragon facing each other as symbols of Yin and Yang. The slit drum has storage space for its matching hammer. In the morning, the lower ranking monastery monks would line up to go begging for their daily food. The lead monk would use the slit drum as a gong or bell to attract attention (and food donations) from the general public.
This short sword and matching scabbard from Bhutan is elaborately decorated. The knife handle or sword hilt has a leather cover which is detail with silver reposse and a coral bead. The wooden scabbard is covered with leather and is decorated with an elaborate silver reposse dragon. The knife blade is has a series of added symbols. The belt loop is also decorated with a series of silver objects.
Both the wooden front and back covers of this Buddhist Sutra book are hand carved with different symbols. The numerous text pages are beautifully written with rich black ink with specific words written in red ink. The book still has its original leather binding strap.
This Tibetan sutra book approximately 12 inches wide, 4 inches tall, and 2 inches thick. Though the pages are in good condition, the covers show years ...click for details
This Miao silver drinking horn would have used for special occasions i.e. prospective in-laws visiting etc. The horn is small 6.5 inches from tip to far rim. The reposse design of dragon and fish is mirrored on each side of the horn.
This antique lamp was sourced from an old Buddhist Temple in Mongolia. It would have been used as a light source, commonly using fat but also occasionally using oil for fuel. The surfaces are rusted and corroded from centuries of use and weather, which gives the piece character and shows it to be an ethnographic artifact of cultures past and passing.
This large puppet head dates from the mid 1800's and represents Sun Wu Kong, the "monkey king" who is a beloved character of Chinese folklore. The head is carved from wood, gessoed and painted. It is 12 inches long and retains almost all of the original paint.
The folk tales of Sun Wukong were collected in the 16th-century novel "Journey to the West" by Wu Cheng'en, and his adventures a ...click for details
This Yao necklace and matching pair of earrings have added beads and long silk tassels. Both are light weight and easy to wear. The earrings are hollow with the same repeated design pattern on the backside. The wire loop may be a bit thick as they were made to accommodate the large ear holes which are traditional for the Chinese minority groups. These loops could easily be changed out for posts or a thinner wire hoop.
For women of indigenous cultures, sewing needles were often hard to come by and considered valuable tools. Commonly, among such groups, cases were specifically designed to protect and safeguard the sewing. This particular antique silver needle case is from the Chinese Miao ethnic minority group and would have been worn by the women as a decorative costume ornament during festival.
This slender expressive statue represents the right hand of the Buddhist female deity worshiped as Quanyin in China, White Lotus in the US, Tara in Tibet, and Kuan Eim in Thailand, etc. The hand retains much of the original paint remains and is mounted on its own display stand. The hand alone is 14 inches high and including the stand is approx 18 inches high.
This face-sized antique mask of a shaman or Buddhist priest is from Tibet. The hand carving is both delicate and simple, with chisel marks showing on the back of the mask.
This antique Tibetan Gau has repousse silver front with animal and fish motif. A large coral bead decorated the center and a small turquoise bead decorates the top. The back has a hand hammer copper cover which can be removed to add sutras (prayers). Both men and woman would wear Gaus during Tibetan gatherings, festivals and Buddhist religious celebrations.
This Gau is 4.5 inches x 4 inches and almost 2 inches thic ...click for details
This hand carved panel is from a Chinese Buddhist Temple erected around 1860. The panel is deeply carved with a scene which takes place at the foot of the sacred mountain. Bits of Mother of Pearl are inlaid into the mountain and is also used to highlight a few costume details.
This panel was used as an architectural element and has the mortise cuts in the top which were used to hold the panel in place. It is one of ...click for details
This hand carved panel is from a Chinese Buddhist Temple erected around 1860. The panel is deeply carved with a scene which takes place at the foot of the sacred mountain. Bits of mother of Pearl are inlaid into the mountain and is also used to highlight a few costume details.
This panel was used as an architectural element and has the mortise cuts in the top which were used to hold the panel in place. It is one of ...click for details
For festivals including her wedding, a Yao girl of marriageable age would wear the traditional "celestial crown" clipped to her hair on the top of her head. This traditional ornament was common among the Yao of Laos, Thailand and China's Yunnan Province. Upon reaching puberty, the Yao girl would be expected to make her own crown following traditional patterns and methods of her local region. For some, the celestial crown would be worn as daily ornament, while other Yao groups woul ...click for details
