This old Chinese child's cloud collar was hand sewn by a proud Miao Ethnic Minority grandmother. The ornate embroidery stitching includes applique and daiz which is misnamed the forbidden stitch by Westerners. The collar is in excellant condition and is 9.5 inches in diameter

This antique Chinese hat would have been worn by a child and probably made and embroidered by a grandparent. This hat is old and has unusual silver ornaments in the front. Condition is pristine with the exception that the large round silver ornament decoration is missing 2 small prongs, and the silk ribbon bordering the extension of the wind cover for protecting the back of the childs neck also has some deterioration areas.

This well used pair of Chinese woman's Lotus shoes for bound feet has embroidered satin stitch floral motif on both sides of the toe. The soles have nice stitch detail

Antique Chinese peach silk ladies robe with blue and gold embroidery. Wonderfully embroidered butterflies, phoenixes and fans in gold. Peony flowers embroidered in shades of blue and white. Detail on upper back with spider. Measures 47" x 29". Overall good condition. The embroidery is in excellent condition, the border slightly frayed. Late 19th c.

Antique Chinese Imperial Court robe with 8 dragons. Wonderfully embroidered with forbidden stitch used extensively throughout on 8-5 clawed gold dragons, phoenixes, butterflies, bats, flowers, shi-shi lions playing with ribboned ball, and fans. Measures 53" X 37". Overall fair condition with some staining and wear throughout. Red silk ground with blue silk trim. Circa: 19th Century

Lovely silk embroidered rondel cut from an antique 19th century Chinese robe. Intricate satin stitch depict 2 figures in the center surrounded by gold bouillon tread used for couching background. Diameter is approximately 8.75 inches ...Piece is in very good condition...no rips no tears

Antique Chinese black dragon and phoenix priest's robe. Roundels embroidered with gold phoenix and dragon with clouds and waves. Silver and gold thread with red and green couching stitches. On the back of the robe there is a peach and jewels and the wheel of life on large back panel. Small overall wear and discoloration. 40" long x 62" sleeve to sleeve. Republic period. Circa 1900-1920s.

Chinese antique ladies blue silk embroidered dragon coat, with 7 dragons and peony flowers and butterflies, bordered with white background with small figures and flowers. Dimensions:39" long, 52" sleeve to sleeve.

Chinese silk panel, embroidered with two figures holding scholar items, one figure is dressed in a dragon robe, beautiful blue ground with flowers, edged in silk yellow, green and blue silk brocade. 19th century. Size: 55 3/4" high x 22 1/4" wide

Chinese silk panel, embroidered with two figures of court officials holding tablets and dressed in dragon robes, beautiful blue ground with flowers, edged in silk yellow, green and blue silk brocade. 19th century. Size: 55 3/4" high x 22 1/4" wide

The variety and types of embroidery stitches on this antique Chinese hat are old typically Miao minority. Probably done by dotting grandmother. The silver ornaments, the butterfly, the bubbles are symbolic of the Miao myth regarding the birth of the human race. The hat shows some dirt but is otherwise in good condition.

A pair of shoes with leather sole for a Manchurian woman or girl. The cream colored silk embroidered with polychrome silk and couched gold thread depicting birds in a lotus pond. The forward section decorated with ruyi head shaped velvet. Blue cotton lining. Condition: patina, few loose and missing threads, two not embroidered areas with splits. Dimension: 16 cm long, weight: 194 g.

This pair of earmuffs are kept together with a silk ribbon. Worn to protect the ears in winter, the outer side has delicate embroidered flower motif, and the inside is slightly padded and has ear pockets which slip of the ears.

This pair of antique Miao boots were made by a young woman from Song Tao to be worn for festivals. The thick sole has iron hob nails to make walking easier on the hills and terraces. The vamp is made from cotton fabric and is heavily embroidered with cottton thread using satin and chain stitch techniques. The upper part of the boot is also made of cotton fabric.

Antique late 19th century Chinese Ning hsia rug hand knotted with soft silky wool on a cotton foundation. An Ivory field ground with a peach central medallion mandala - like design surrounded by motifs of stylized creeping plants. Surrounded by a wide border in light blue, blue, navy, white and peach colors with various designs including a Greek key. CONDITION: The rug in general is in good condition considering its age with full pile, No repairs, no holes or applied patches...

Antique 19th century Chinese Qing Dynasty Summer Robe constructed of a very thin black Silk finely woven with numerous round medallions which each enclose a pair of five-clawed Dragons amidst clouds bordered by black Satin silk panels and trimmed with blue satin silk adorned with precious Buddhist and Taoist emblems and auspicious motifs...

This antique chinese hat would have been worn for festival by a Yi ethnic minority girl (woman) from the Honghe area. Worn for festival, the "cockssome cap" is elaborately decorated with faceted silver beads. Enlargement 5 shows cock hat as it would be worn. Hat comes with its own custom made stand.

This charming pair of old Chinese lotus shoes were made from a sturdy cotton fabric and embroidered with cotton thread. The lack of silk matterials would indicate that the maker/wearer was probably from a less afluent family. The soles indicate are well worn but the vamps are in very good condition.

This absolutely charming pair of baby booties is from the late Qing dynasty. They are made of silk satin ivory colored fabric and have a large satin stitched butterfly on each side. The front of the booties have an appliqued butterfly with tassles and pompoms. They are in pristine condition with the exception of the one missing pompom on one bootie.

Manchu women never practiced foot-binding. However, during the Qing dynasty, they did wear pedestal aka platform shoes, hoping to give the appearance of smaller feet. These shoes would give the woman a more careful walk which was perceived as dainty and more sensual. In addition, the tips of the shoes would appear to peak out from under the robes, giving the foot more dainty appearance. These shoes are embroidered on both sides with a floral motif...

This small embroidered wallet style purse would have been used by a traditional Han Chinese woman to carry coins during the Qing dynasty. There are pockets on each side of the purse. And the all satin stitched embroidery is also on each side of the wallet.

This charming pair of lotus shoes are from northern China and date to the late Qing Dynasty. The delicately embroidered flower goes across the toe of each shoe and the wide ornate woven band forms a cuff around the top of each shoe.

This small silk jacket was made and worn by the child of a wealthy traditional Han Chinese family. The dark blue silk fabric is embroidered on the front and back with a floral arrangement. There are additional decorative elements of tassels and border trim. The jacket spans 15 inches across the chest.

The jacket is in very good condition with only a slightly visible stain on the front embroidery, which would be expected of a childs jacket of this age.

By the early 1900's, foot binding fell somewhat out of fashion with the upper social classes of Han Chinese women, especially in the north. With various degrees of success and a lot of pain, a few brave women chose to have their feet re-broken and reset into a more natural size and shape. This pair of boots belonged to one such woman...

An unusual pair of hand embroidered Chinese silk pouches with auspicious symbols. The color contrast is stunning, each has its original silk tassels. These pouches also have their original drawstrings yet intact. These pouches may have been used for eyeglasses and /or general use. In excellent condition with only minimal fading, which is remarkable considering their age, the pouches measure 6" (15.2 cm) long. The tassels measure 5" (12.7 cm).

A scholars favorite, this small pouch was used most likely for general purpose items, but I suspect it was actually used for cricket accessories, due the subject matter of a cricket at play, and the double gourd shape of the pouch. On the opposite side is an auspicious butterfly, the entire presentation is unique and charming. This scholars delight dates to the late 19th century. In excellent shape,it measures 4.75 inches or 12.1 cm long.

These Chinese woman's Lotus shoes are from Shanxi province and are from the mid 1800's. In Chinese culture, to have, wear or use something from an ancestor (parent, grandparent,etc) was considered as a talisman and gave an element of protection to the user. This pair of lotus shoes was passed to a younger generation whose embroidery skills were, well, not as advanced as the original maker. But clearly the child left her mark on the shoes with the added embroidery of the birds etc.

This Chinese lady's purse was made with silk satin fabric and hand embroidered with silk thread using a satin embroidery stitch. The edges are bound with carefully aligned silk threads. Each side opens to a separate storage compartment and there is a third compartment which is accessed from the top of the purse.

Made and used during the late Qing Dynasty, the quality of the materials and workmanship clearly show that this purse was used by a woman of means...

This small Chinese hand made purse would have been made by a woman for her personal use or possibly as a gift to a female friend. It was made using cotton background fabric and hand embroidered with silk thread on each side. The butterfly and floral motifs were made with silk thread using a combination of satin stitches, chain stitches and couching embroidery techniques.

It is a charming example of a Chinese woman's needlework and is in excellent condition...

According to the writing on the back, this small embroidered pencil holder in was made in 1897 by a Mrs Lee for M.J. Thomas who was a member of the Chinese Chicago Mission group. The embroidery stitches are tiny and some of the threads are frayed but it is a warm memento of friendship and an artifact from another era in relations between China and the US.

This baby carrier is from the Miao ethnic minority of Qui Yang. Characteristic of the antique Miao baby carriers from this area, the surface decoration is composed of very tiny cross stitches which form geometric embroidery pattern which, to Western eyes, resemble snowflakes...

A Chinese informal robe with mandarin collar, decorated using couched silver threads, with auspicious symbols of baskets with flowers, double eternal knots, scattered fruit and flowers and a central floral roundel above stylized waves and water, all on a dark blue silk ground (near black); lighter blue lining. Circa 1900 - 1920.

The Zhuang are one of the larger of the Chinese Ethnic Minority groups. This is a rare old baby carrier from Yunnan Province. Because silk was not readily available in the rural areas, the use of silk as the background fabric indicates that this carrier came from a wealthy family. The central panel uses several colors of fabric appliqued into a large stylized lotus flower. Silk thread is used for the delicate satin stitched embroidery of butterflies and flowers...

A section of old Chinese cloth taken from the shoulder section of a seventh rank official's formal court dragon robe, silk backing (some damages on line). Please ask. 18-19th century. 27" x 29 1/2"

By the latter part of the 19th century the ruling Qings were obsessed with every last detail of dress. This antique top grain leather fan case could only have been owned by very wealthy Chinese woman.

A bride of the Yi Chinese Ethnic Minority in Yunnan Province, would have worn the "cock" hat for her wedding day. The hat is made using layers of cotton fabric with a stiffiner between the layers to maintain the shape. Using colorful cotton thread, hat was extravagantly hand embroidered. A few traditional silver ornaments including the bubble, flower and butterfly were added.

Now, it is the very lucky Yi girl who can use her great grandmother's bridal hat for her own wedding...