Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art (482)

This lacquer serving tray from Burma (now called Myanmar) depicts has a central medallion with a mythical Burmese creature, a chinthei, surrounded with 12 individual vignettes depicting children and other creatures. The tray is 19 x 11 inches with a rim 3/4 inches high. The top surface is somewhat dulled from age and exposure.

This traditional small leather purse would have been used as an ornament and hung from a belt by a Tibetan woman during festival. It is heavily decorated with silver metal, turquoise and coral beads. This is an old one and is in excellent condition.

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 old Chinese stoneware ceramic pipe bowl (smoke chamber) would have been placed onto the smoking pipe to allow for a small piece of opium to be smoked. The tiny opening at the top would allow the smoke to be drawn into the stoneware chamber and cooled before being inhaled by the smoker.

The piece has 2 different makers marks which are clearly stamped into each side of the clay underside of bottom hole.

Floral embroidery in several shades of blue silk thread decorate this white silk sleeve band. Mostly embroidered with satin stitch, there is a rose embroidered with peking knots and high-lighted with gold couching. There is some slight discoloration on the white silk border which could easily be avoided in framing. Embroidered area measures 4" x 16 full panel measures 7" x 32

Young serene standing Buddha on elaborate lotus stand. Buddha shows wear to gilding from age and handling exposing black lacquer under coat. late Meiji 1900-1920 Buddha is 9 inches and stand adds another 2.5 for total height of 11.5 inches

this old wooden storage box was clearly made in a folk art tradition by or for a lower ranking individual, possibly a traveling scribe, or low ranking official. Fully opened, it has compartments for brushes, ink sticks, chops and seals, etc. The numerous splotches of old ink stains on the outside of the box indicate extensive use, under not the tidiest of circumstances. Sourced in southern China year back, it is the only box of this style that I have ever seen...

These 6 antique Chinese needlework implements were brought to the US by the American Baptist missionary Rebecca Cloud-Stewart. They range in size from 3-6 inches long...

This vamps of this lovely pair of Chinese Lotus shoes, aka bound feet shoes, are embroidered all around with butterflies and flowers. The soles are covered with fabric and leather...the heels are covered with leather which is nailed into place to call attention to the wearers movements when walking. Very condition ... one small rip in fabric at the back of one heel. Measures barely 4 inches.

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...

This is an old traditional style top shirt which would have been worn by a young girl of the Yi Chinese ethnic minority from Yunnan Province. the fabric is made from home grown cotton, hand spun, and hand woven. The collar surround and cuffs are trimmed with an intricate batik pattern and the tiniest embroidery stitched I have ever seen. The shirt has its original buttons. Good size for framing 14 inches across the chest.

This Buddhist sutra book was from Ceylon, now called Sri Lanka. The front and rear wooden covers painted red with random gold paint spatters. The sutra book contains 16 handwritten pages made from palm leaves, which are held between the covers with cord. Measurements 25" x 2"

This shell necklace is an ornament from one of the indigenous tribal groups from West Papua New Guinea. Shells were often used as both adornment and currency with these groups. The string/rope is handmade from a plant fiber. As with many items from the tribal groups of New Guinea, it is difficult to put an age on this piece. It is an interesting ethnographic artifact and can be used for display and can also be worn as a necklace. The diameter of the opening is just over 8 inches...

Sourced from southern China, this ethnic minority tobacco container has a hinged lid and "belt clip". I suspect that it is Yi minority.

This Chinese Double handled Cloisonné cup has its original blown cobalt blue glass insert... Old red wax seal on bottom from the 70's by Chinese gov official as being between 100 and 200 years old and therefore allowed to be taken out of China... see pic at bottom pic...1.75 inches x high 3 inches diameter of cup and 5 inches across includes both handles

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...

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 is a Qing Dynasty woman's skirt which has been Adapted for western wear. The 2 panels of the skirt have been sewn together and the original waist band has been narrowed. The skirt easily wraps around the hips so that the flat sections were displayed at at the front and back....the pleated sections hang at draped the sides.....

Toward the late Qing and early Republic periods, footbinding in urban centers became less common. But women were still concerned with fashionable footwear. This pair of beaded strips are actually shoes parts which would have been sewn with other matching beaded fabric parts to form a pair of beaded shoes.

This traditional antique basket purse was made and used by the men of the tiny island of Balika,Indonesia. The patina shows both the age and the wear pattern. This is one of a pair of "old purses" which were brought back to the US by an Anthropology intern who spent a summer studying and documenting the lives of the islanders in 1980. The condition is very good and the piece measures 16" high by 12" wide and 4"

This Antique woven basket was typical of the baskets used in the kitchens of Hunan Province China. This particular style would have been used for rice storage...The red and black lacquer design is painted on all 4 sides. the interior is painted black lacquer. Condition is good considering age and usage of basket as a utilitarian item ..a few nicks and chips in the paint. 12 inches in diameter across the top. 9 inches high plus another 2 inches for the handles...

The face of this Japanese Boy's Day Doll, musha ningyo, would certainly scare away any demons...strands of his unkept hair tends to drift across the face, and his costume is elaborately detailed. Without the stand he is 11 inches tall...the stand adds another 2 inches to the height.

Condition excellant with the exception of a couple of small surface paint chips on face reveal white undercoat (clears shown in pictures)

This small hand carved wooden container would have been used to store smoking tobacco, and would have been worn hanging from a belt the same as a Japanese inro. Although similar types of containers would have used by both traditional Han Chinese and ethnic minority Chinese, this particular container is definately traditional Han Chinese. One side has a carved scene of a bird and branch, the other side has written characters...

This Meiji period Japanese vase has ginbari panels accenting the neck and wide goldstone band with gin-bari flowers.

Vase is 8 inches tall and is in pristine condition

This small hand painted picture on cloth, called a Tsakli was used for Buddhist religious instruction and rituals in Tibet. The back of the card has Tibetan writing...Obvious condition issues...This card and others listed on this site were all antique cards when they were brought out of Tibet in the 60's...roughly 3.75 x 3.5 inches

The cabinet is dark brown lacquer possibly over-painted. There are mother of pearl inlay of very old Chinese calligraphy characters on the doors and drawer front... with no translation available. There is a copper/bronze decorative latch on the cabinet doors. This cabinet would have been used in a prayer niche and would have held religious objects 32 x 13 x 7 inches.

This ingenious antique Chinese pillow expands and contracts so it can be used as either a double and single pillows. The wooden ends have hand carved floral decoration. The head rest areas are bamboo and the individual rails are wooden. As expected,there are a few nicks to the finish which are consistent with a 100 yrs plus daily use item.

This embroidery panel was originally the front flip of a money belt. The background fabric is a low cut velvet the embroidery stitches are mostly chain stitches. Charming scene of flowers and fish with traditional chinese key border Almost 12 inches across at the widest and 7.5 inches high.

The top of this black lacquer Japanese box is heavily carved with leaves and foliage. The carved oval cinnabar panel in the center depicts a long and stable marriage scene. The standing wife has just served her sitting husband tea in the garden, outside the house surrounded by mountains. The four sides of the box are carved with continuous textile design.

The box is 5.5 inches x 4.75 inches and 2+ inches high.

This antique type of metal work was common in Nepal during the 1800's and into the early 1900's. The birds beak is carved from bone which is dyed to color. The "jewels" are colored glass i.e. enamel drops of orange, turquoise and dark brown. Beak to tail tip the bird measures 3.5 inches and stands 2 inches high. Very good condition with one "jewel" missing on the side.

The saddle seat is Leather and decorated with small tuffs of wool yarn and strips of flat metal (presumed low grade silver) which are embed into the leather in an ornate geometric design.

I replaced the tie which secured the front of the seat to the metal saddle tree...the original cord was literally falling apart...Limited research indicates this saddle was from Rajastan India.

For Girls Day Palace display 3 male attendants each approximately 4 inches tall

Made by a woman of somewhat limited means, this pair of lotus shoes date to the late Qing Dynasty. The vamp has a contrast of lavender and purple cotton fabric. Each toe is decorated with a delicate floral embroidery. There is a round heal attached to the sole... The shoes measure 5 inches. They show a minimal amount of wear...

In China, collars where made separately from the robe or garment. As such, the so-called cloud collars were used much like a necklace, allowing a single collar to be worn over various robes. This is a traditional Han Chinese style collar dates to the Qing dynasty period. The background fabric is white silk, bordered with black rolled trim. The collar is very finely embroidered with silk thread using predominately the satin embroidery stitch...

Small embroidery with central floral motif using seed stitch, on traditional dark blue silk fabric. May have been used on garment as inside pocket. Approx 6.5 inches on each side.

This antique iron candle holder was sourced from Shanxi province China. From a peasants home, it could be set on a table or hung on a wall. It is an interesting ethnographic folk art relic.

This antique Chinese lotus shaped serving tray is elaborately inlayed with Mother of Pearl. The MOP design covers the surface of the tray and also goes about the exterior face of the narrow rim. Wood is most likely ebony and tray dates from mid 18th century.

Condition: All the MOP inlay is intact but there are numerous tiny nicks and chips in the surface finish on the inside and outside edges of the rim surround...

This matching Japanese 5 piece set consists of 2 deeply footed shallow serving bowls and 3 small shallow bowls. The deep rich red/orange lacquer background serves to highlight the gold, black and gray landscape scene which graces the inside of each piece. Flying high overhead a gold crane surveys the pine tree and series of sacred mountains. The largest piece is 7 inches diameter, next piece is 6 inches diameter and the 3 pieces each have a 3.5 inch diameter.

Traditional Manchu style Qing Dynasty embroidered silk vest..Original drop buttons and loop closures... stunning ...fits small woman...a few hard to find light stains.

This antique small iron mortar fits easily into the closed hand was used for grinding medicinal herbs. The pestle is attached with a hand made chain. Sourced from Maharasha, India...great aged patina.

This old Chinese necklace is from either the Dong or Miao minority group. The central medallion is domed on the front and flat on the back. The weight of the medallion indicates that it is hollow. It depicts a minority style dragon from minority legend. With the assortment of items dangling, the necklace is reminiscent of a chatelaine.

the central medallion diameter is just over 4 inches and from the top of the medallion to the bottom of the longest drop is approx 7 inches...

A properly dressed Chinese woman would wear a pair of leggings to cover her lower legs from the bottom of her skirt to the top of her lotus shoes. The leggings would be tied into place with a hand woven sash made specifically for that purpose. These lotus shoe accessories are now rare and very hard to find. See my listing TC236 and ZTC233. This pair of leggings are purple satin weave fabric with ribbon and silk embroidered trim at the cuffs. There is some ares of fade on the basic fabric.

This Chinese wood carving from the Qing Dynasty portrays a seated nobleman. The surface is covered with remains of the original multi layers of lacquer paint. There are no marks on the bottom. Hand carved and only 4 inches high this is a charming piece of old folk art, an artifact from the glory days of old China.

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.

Hand made using black silk fabric, and the old traditional methods, these boots are detail with embroidery on each side of the vamp with butterflies toward the...

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. Dolls representing the hopeful parents to be and often the son that was wished for were consecrated by t...

This is one of 4 small individual antique Chinese carvings which I am listing separately. I had always assumed them to be 4 of the eight immortals but upon close inspection, I am now not sure which gods, ancestors or legends they represent. Each character stands with its own faithful foo type dog and carries an implement of some kind. Each has a peg on the bottom which fits into the own homemade stand.

This character stands 5.75 inches x 3 inches wide and 1 inch thick. The stand adds anot...

This is one of 2 hexagonal shaped tea cannisters which I have listed separately. This one has an incised spring scene of two young birds and a butterfly 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. This cannister is from an estate in the US...Both the Chinese and Japanese used this shape tea cannister and Lu Tongs poems were also highly regarded in Japan, so it is possible the these tea caddies are Ja...

Personal care items with long handles to reach the back...the brush is carved from wood and the back scratcher is carved from bamboo...roughly 22 23 inches long...

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. These hats a...

This Chinese ethnic minority hair comb was hand carved with scalloped edge detail on both sides. Many ethnic minority women would save the hair from ancestors and add it to their own hair for additional bulk...some groups would add bits of wool also to make the hair appear thicker. Combs were used both for combing and for hair ornaments. Carved from walnut wood and 9 inches long at the bottom

This traditional Chinese antique tea container was made from bamboo. The outside has a carved rib design and was lacquered black. This tea caddy would have been used regularly by family and friends during the Qing dynasty. The inside lid is stamped with the manufacturers information.

The tea caddy is 10 inches tall and shows patinated wear marks and chips in the lacquer surface which would be expected on a piece of this age.

This rare antique bag was made and used by the Yi ethnic minority... It was made from hand corded plant fiber,tied into a series of knots to form a shallow sack. Originally there would have been a fabric shoulder strap which would have been tied around the loops on either side of the top of the bag... The front of the bag is decorated with a traditional silver ornament depicting a butterfly. The bag is in tact: no holes, or rips but is dirty from use and age....

Late 1800's -very early 1900's this fixed fan was made and of hide elaborately pierced and painted. The fan handle and support is made from carved and curved horn...

Beautifully patterned horn chop with its horn seal box. The remenants of red ink indicate that this seal was used for official documents. The box has a slide top which closes tightly.

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

This elaborate beaded breastplate would have been worn for festivals by a wealthy Tibetan woman. The main section has 3 ornate silver and turquoise ornaments surrounded by a raised beaded coil which is bordered with cowrie shells. The neckline rolled and padded.

It is 13 inches across at the widest point and can be tied around the neck using the attached fabric ties. As is obvious in the pictures, there are a couple areas of lose on the turquoise ornaments.

This antique Chinese silk dragon court vest is couched with silk thread embroidery designs of dragons, birds, flowers, clouds etc. and accents of gold bouillion thread. Vest shows some minimal wear and is in overall good condition.

The vest dates to the mid 19th century and has a front rank badge with bird facing the wearers left shoulder. This indicates that the original owner was the wife of a civil official. The bird on this rank badge is a made of matching embroidery and fabric sepa...

This very nice traditional Chinese pillow has leg supports which fold up when it is not in use. The top is made of shaped and stained bamboo slats which flex for soft comfort. The body of the piece is made of a dark wood with carved scrollwork along the bottom edge. Each end has an elaborate carving of a bat in flight. good condition 15"x 5" x 4" with legs extended

This unusual Japanese lacquer clam shell is from Wakasa, a center for exceptional lacquer craftsmanship which began during the Edo period. At that time the lacquerers of the Obama clan, near Wakasa Bay, began decorating their work with designs depicting elements of the ocean floor, For techniques, the Wakasa craftsmen developed a process of repeated lacquer coatings of several colors and rubbing down the lacquer coated surface. This process produced a random decorative pattern. The clam shell s...

This 19th Century traditional Han Chinese robe would have been used for winter wear. It uses dark black satin weave silk fabric, and has very wide cuffs with floral embroidery and the shape is trimmed out with a floral silk ribbon. The coat has its original buttons and fabric loop closures...and has original lining. Excellent condition