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.

This antique gau would have been worn around the neck of a Tibetan woman during festivals. The gau front and side surfaces are decorated with ornate wire work and the front has small beads of turquoise, coral and Lapis. Originally, the gau box would have contained Buddhist religious relics which were removed long ago... and there is some obvious lose to the enamal work on the inside of the gau. The back fits tightly but can easily be removed. It has the sign of the double dorjie...

Using stuffed folded fabric on paper backing to form decorative doll type figures was a highly prized art form in old Chinese culture. This large figure of a noble woman riding a donkey is a now rare example of that art form made during the late 19th and very early 20th century. Wonderfully detailed, she has an embroidered bat as a hair ornament and wears a tiny lotus shoe on her foot which is fitted into a stirrup...

Designed for travel, this old Chinese wooden hat stand comes apart to fit flat. Ethnographic item from the Qing dynasty, it has a good sculptural quality and is also good way to display your antique Chinese hat.

This Chinese pinafore style garment would have been worn by a small girl child of the Dong ethnic minority in Shui Kou. Fabric is handwoven from cotton fiber, hand stitched with intricate decorative applique work and hand woven snowflake pattern ribbon accents the border. No rips, no tears, and no holes...but this piece is old and has been worn and is a bit "dirty".... and still has its original ties. It is 14 inches wide and 21 inches long...great ethnographic textile for framing.

Originally, this was the largest of a set of 3 graduated matching silver necklaces. They were worn as a set for festival by the Miao Chinese Ethnic Minority women. The necklace was skillfully hand-formed from a sheet of silver into a curving tapered tube with a reposse pattern of 2 dragons chasing pearl. It spans 10.5 inches across.

This traditional old Tibetan carved woodblock was used to print the "vast luck" pattern on Buddhist prayer flags. There is a double dorje in the center where it is written "May the holder of this charm be given the gift of eternal life." The corners are carved with the 4 animals: the garuda, the peacock, the elephant, and the wind horse and the mantras to protect and increase life, health, wealth and good fortune...

This antique copper reposse gau houses a picture instead of a clay tsa tsa which was common for a family gau. when the family could afford to do so, the picture would be replaced by a clay tsatsa. Curiously, this gau also houses 2 amulets, which were typically provided by a monk. The paper is very old and I am told it is bad Karma to unfold the amulet...

This traditional Chinese woman's headband was made and worn during the Qing Dynasty toward the end of the 19th century. It has an applique embroidered butterfly on each end and a large full kingfisher feathered medallion in the center. The lotus shaped kingfisher is 4 inches x 2 inches. The entire headband in 16 inches in length.

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 a single cowrie shell. 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.

Animal horns carved and shaped this way were used by herders and farmers to give a sick animal liquid medicine. This yak horn was bought in China but was probably made used the Tibetans. Judging from its size, this horn is from a mature (older) Yak...The tip is carved into a delicate animal head ...there are a few surface growth stress cracks on the under side which would be common for a large older animal. horn from tip to end is 11 inches and has good translucence

Sourced from an old estate, this pair of lotus shoes came with a hand written tag/label sewn to the back of one heel and a red paper the shape of the inner sole place inside on of the shoes. The paper is at the point flaking and disintegrating and the writing is in old Chinese and no longer readable. Because of the "tag and label, I suspect that these shoes were presented as a "gift" to a Western missionary, teacher or friend...