Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art (482)

The 5 musicians from palace set of Girls Day Hina Dolls...the 2 musicians in the rear are are seated on stools are each 4.5 inches tall. The 3 seated on the floor are 3.5 inches tall

Coffee pots like this were used across northern Africa from Morocco to Saudi Arabia. These "Dallah" coffee pots would have been used to make the traditional Qawha and Khaleeji coffees. This coffee pot is from late 1800's early 1900. Price is commensurate with condition....It has had several repairs and is so heavily tarnished that I cannot identify the actual metal...I assume it is some mix of copper and some alloy which would be typical for its age. The handle is cast bronze/alloy

This old drum from Nepal was used for festival and carried in parades. The man would use the left hand to hold the drum by the handmade ropes across the back of the drum. He would use the right hand to strike the drum skin. The chains and metal bits hanging from the bottom would add an extra "jangle" sound while drum moving. Clearly made as folk art instrument, the drum is somewhat out of round and about 18" at the widest diameter.

This ingenious antique Chinese sundial can be carried in the pocket. When needed, the cover is removed, the pointer is raised and held in place by the notch in the raised semi circle arm. Direction is established by the small compass on one side of the pointer. The small fixed circular dial on the other side of the pointer uses Chinese characters...

This baby carrier panel is a lovely old piece. Embroidered with a very intricate flowing pattern using silk floss and wrapped thread and satin stitch techniques. This piece is bordered with hand-loomed fabric. The back of the piece has recently been replaced. Condition is good 19" x 21.5

This textile wallet would have been used to keep sewing supplies Each page is made from heavy hand paper, hand painted decoration and folded in such a way that numerous pockets and flaps are available for storage of small bits of fabric, snipes of thread, needles, etc. the outside of the wallet is covered with homespun fabric which now attests to the age and use of the piece. This wallet is from the Dong ethnic minority of China, and would have been passed down from one generation to another...

During the Qing dynasty, carved wood blocks were used to produce the ancestor portraits which decorated the homes of many Chinese families. The Chinese translation of the term "ancestor Portraits" can be misleading to Westerners. These were not portraits of the particular family's ancestors. They were portraits of various Chinese officials, emperor, empress, etc. for whom the family wished to show respect and or allegiance...

This antique lidded container was made for jewelry or other small household items. Obviously hand made, probably by the original owner, it does have a few surface nicks from age and use. With a 5 inch diameter and standing approx 4 inches high, it is a charming artifact of Chinese folk art.

This heavy wooden pillow was hand carved from a block of hard wood. A relic of the Qing dynasty during the 1800's, it would have been used more as a head rest, i.e. supporting the back of the neck so that the hair style remained undisturbed. It is carved into a series of graceful curved forms and the finish has a wonderful pattern of wear and patina. 11.5 inches x 4 x 3.25 weight 2 lbs

Strand of Tuareg seed pod prayer beads from the region of Timbuktu, Mali. A talisman is added on with handmade cord and decorated with elephant hairs (from tail) and cowrie shells. The original cord was broken long ago and a few seed pods are missing. The original cord has been left in place and I have added a second strand to keep the strand together.

This embroidery panel was originally the front bodice of a dress...Hand embroidered over several layers of heavy fabric and using mirrors and silver and gold metallic threads...this dress bodice was a show piece probably used only for important occasions i.e. weddings etc. Very ornately embroidered, this panel measures 19 x 22 inches. the picture of the back side of the bodice indicates serious wear and age...

This charming old Chinese headband was handmade for a small child sometime in the late Qing dynasty. It is one of the nicest animal headbands that I have seen, and it is in good condition. The cat's face would have been worn at the child's forehead and is 3 dimensional. Made with silk fabric, with silk thread for the elaborately embroidery, the face is complete with ears that flap, and side paws. Opened at the back seam for easy framing, it can easily be re-sewn to fit display stand.

This old Sutra book is out of Tibet... original cover, strap, and pages, more pages than I want to count. size 6 inches x 2 inches 1.5 inches

This is one of 2 hexagonal shaped tea cannisters which I have listed separately. This one has an incised scene of a mature bird on one side. The other side has 2 sentences from the famous Tang dynasty poem by Lu Tong. The bamboo has darkened considerably with age...

Very Nice patina on this old Tibetan Dorje. It is 7 inches long. The Tibetan Dorje is the equivalent of the India Buddhist symbol of Vajra or Thunderbolt which represents the masculine force....

Hand carved heavy old wooden Quran (aka Koran) Muslin book reader out of Middle East, Central Asia. Reader folds flat when not in use and has extra arm separator for storage of additional pages. Good patina, some wear marks as expected in an item of this age

I was thrilled to acquire this rare Mongolian textile. Utilizing all couching embroidery technique on red wool fabric, it depicts 2 golden dragons chasing the sun. The condition of this piece is remarkably good condition for its age, showing 2 small areas of repair on the top corners. It measures 40" long by 18" from the top to the bottom tip of the tasseles

Bamboo Vests were used as undershirts under silk garments. They served the duel purpose of allowing some air circulation and protected the silk garments from body oils. These vest were fragile and they have become very rare and hard to find. They were made with small pieces of bamboo which are literally strung together to form a garment. This bamboo vest is a particularly nice one...