Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art (482)

This Korean antique is a hand carved woodblock which would have been used to print a repeating decorative design pattern onto a textile. It is very old, and well worn with great patina.

In China for centuries various civil officials showed their rank by the finial worn on their hat. The color of the central stone at the top of the metal finial indicated the rank of the wearer... Brass/gold was the lowest rank... The hats were further decorated with a long ring of red silk tassels attached between the finial and the hat... This antique court hat finial along with the circle of tassels is from the Qing dynasty the finial and the ring of tassels are displayed on top of ...

this matching pair of Turkomen Yomud tent bags, aka chuval, are out of my private collection...beautiful condition Sumak weave on bag faces plain woven canvas backs 39 x 17 inches (not including fringe)

This antique Chinese circular lidded container was made from a single valuable horn. It is a tribute to both the horn and the skill of the craftsman. Horn can be cut, and carved, but it is not a flexible material. According to my Chinese friends, the thinner and more translucent the horn, the more it is valued. The cross-section of an ox (buffalo)horn is oval, but a Yak horn is circular. This is a prized horn. Approx 4" high and 2.5" diameter.

This old Japanese hand made sack (basket,bag) was made by a rural farmer or fisherman out of cotton cording. Handle holes were worked into the upper band which would have allowed for the changing of worn out handles. There is obvious wear and fading from use and age. The bag measures almost 11 x 15 inches It is Wonderful old ethnographic example of rural Japanese textile folk art

This finely carved small 3 hole flower (plant) antique Ikebana type vase was sourced in China but design quality is very Japanese...Deeply carved dark dense,finely grained hardwood, possibly walnut, or zitan...feels wonderfully smooth...approximately 5.5 inches x 5.5 inches x 1.5 inches....

This homemade Japanese tool was used in rural areas for cutting the groove in the tree to release and collect the sap which was harvested for the lacquerware. The wood handle is smooth to touch and has years of patina. The cutting blade is heavily aged but is in good condition. The tool is about 9" long and at least 150 years old.

This old silk embroidery panel may have originally been part of a larger scene. the is light stain to the background above the riders head. the piece measures panel is approx 19 x 15 inches ...

Sometimes assumed by Westerners as "medical models" these are Chinese fertility dolls. As ritual items, they rarely come onto the market. Used by several Chinese ethnic minority cultures, including the Miao, Yao and Naxi, the old fertility dolls were hand carved, anatomically correct and with pegged and jointed limbs. The hair styles and head gear would vary depending on the minority group...

This 8" high wooden figure of the sitting Tenjin was carved during the Edo period, the mid 19th century (1850). Tenjin is the Japanese "god" name name given to the Japanese statesman and scholar, Sugawarea Michizane, the 9th century poet and writer of Chinese prose and verse.

Possibly carved from cryptomera wood and darkened with age, this carved figure has both a simplicity and elegance which are, for me, the major characteristics of Japanese asthetics.

Intricately detailed, this miniature scaled model of a japanese tea house was the result of a village folk art craftsman sometime between the late 1890-1920. Each piece is carved from bamboo and is pegged into place. The rice paper shutter doors slide and addition solid shutters are stored in the exterior swinging compartments. The roof is easily removed to reveal the inside which is furnished with an alter, bamboo scroll,flower vase and serving tansu with sliding doors...

Originally part of a full sized Tibetan adult costume, this piece was cut down to complete a childs festival costume. Decorated with turquoise, coins, tassels and silver ornaments, this type of textile accessory would often be attached to the elaborate headdress or hat and drape down the back to complete the wearers costume. The Tibetan people are not wastefull and items of festival garments in any condition are hard to acquire. I have had it hanging on my wall for a number of years...

Women of the Miao Chinese minority did not cut their hat...when the hair was worn "bun Style" on the top of the head, the comb would be positioned horizontally, with the tynes pushed under the "bun"...and the silver dangles would hang down...the actual "comb" is hand carved and covered with silver for decoration...

This antique toggle was sourced from China. I suspect that was originally from Tibet. The carved circular markings on bottom of 2 of the sides of the toggle are more typical of the ethnic minorities.

Toggle is almost 2 inches long and .5 inches x .5 inches.

Using these Chinese lotus-shaped lacquer tea saucers simplified passing and serving hot tea. Traditional Chinese symbols are delicately painted with copper color over a black lacquer background. There is a double happiness symbol at each end along with clouds, water waves and lucky bat symbol in the center. The back side is traditional Chinese red.

This beautiful antique short strand of beads would have been carried in the pocket and taken out for ritual religious prayer...2 spacer counter beads are honey amber and the 3rd is red coral...

This plain pot metal vessel was used to contain hair oil during the reign of Chinese Emperor Daoquang about 1850. Standing about 6 inches high and 3.5 inches diameter at the widest point, a woman would dip her comb into the oil before combing her hair. I do have an identical matched pair of these but am selling them separately.

There are a total of eight signs, each with a different "saying" having to do with well wishes. Due to the age of the calligraphy, and the vagueres of the old Chinese language, accurate translations have not been possible for each sign. Each sign is carved out of wood with raised wooden characters and inlayed with MOP flakes. Each is 21 inches tall and roughly 4.5 inches wide. I have listed them separately, to allow for pictures of each