Asian ethnic minority artifacts textiles, tribal arts, primitive Asian Ethnic Artifacts
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All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Southeast Asian : Lacquer : Pre 1900 item #780958 (stock #SEA116)
Asian Ethnic Artifacts
$1275.00
This box would have been used to display sacred Buddhist Sutra or text book. The importance of the contents is indicated by the viewing windows on front, back, top and sides of the box. The exterior of the box is covered with black lacquer and over-painted with gold. It is painted red on the inside.

There is some minimal paint loss, which is to be expected in a piece of this age. 24 inches(60 cm) long 5 inches (12 cm) high

All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Indian Subcontinent : Himalayas : Pre 1900 item #768862 (stock #T125)
Asian Ethnic Artifacts
$750.00
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.
All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Chinese : Jewelry : Pre 1920 item #871444 (stock #M133)
Asian Ethnic Artifacts
$650.00
For festivals including her wedding, a Yao girl of marriageable age would wear the traditional "celestial crown" clipped to her hair on the top of her head. This traditional ornament was common among the Yao of Laos, Thailand and China's Yunnan Province. Upon reaching puberty, the Yao girl would be expected to make her own crown following traditional patterns and methods of her local region. For some, the celestial crown would be worn as daily ornament, while other Yao groups would reserve the ...
All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Indian Subcontinent : Himalayas : Pre 1910 item #1012290 (stock #T151)
Asian Ethnic Artifacts
$650.00
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. Today, ...
All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Indian Subcontinent : Himalayas : Pre 1837 VR item #929887 (stock #T148)
Asian Ethnic Artifacts
$655.00
Both the wooden front and back covers of this Buddhist Sutra book are hand carved with different symbols. The numerous text pages are beautifully written with rich black ink with specific words written in red ink. The book still has its original leather binding strap.

This Tibetan sutra book approximately 12 inches wide, 4 inches tall, and 2 inches thick. Though the pages are in good condition, the covers show years of wear and use and is a wonderful artifact of an old culture.

All Items : Vintage Arts : Regional Art : Asian : Chinese : Textiles : Pre 1930 item #782135 (stock #EMT128)
Asian Ethnic Artifacts
$550.00
This Miao Chinese ethnic minority jacket would have been worn by a teenage girl for festival. All the batik work was hand-painted and all stitches and embroidery was done by hand. The row of silver hemisphere's across the back represent the "bubble" in the Miao creation myth.

The jacket is approx 70 years old and is from Zhi Jin

All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Indian Subcontinent : Himalayas : Pre 1920 item #1029643 (stock #T152)
Asian Ethnic Artifacts
$550.00
The Tibetan leather flint pouch (aka strike a light) is properly known as a "mechag" (me = fire , chag = iron) or fire iron. This Tibetan flint pouch is decorated with ornate silver and bronze ornamentation with an inset red bead which appears to be a replacement for the original bead. The pouch would have been secured to the wears belt with the attached leather strap.

This is large strike a light ...the strike plate spans 6.5 inches and the purse including handle is 5 inches high...an wide...

All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Indian Subcontinent : Himalayas : Pre 1910 item #1375704 (stock #T139a)
Asian Ethnic Artifacts
$550.00
This Tibetan shrine shaped gau (aka prayer box) is actually a religious shrine. When not being worn as an ornament during festivals, it would be kept in the prayer niche of the family home. The back of the box slides open. Frequently, a special prayer i.e. sutra pages would be placed inside. The small glass window at the front displays a Tsa tsa, which is a clay statue of a Buddhist Diety. These statues were made only by the monks and considered to be a holy relic. This antique gau has a f...
All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Indian Subcontinent : Himalayas : Pre 1900 item #859495 (stock #T141)
Asian Ethnic Artifacts
$515.00
This Tibetan Priest's rattle is carved from horn and has a bone cap on the end. It was used by the Monk during ceremonial rituals and would have been shaken to ward off evil spirits. This horn was hand carved with many Tibetan Buddist symbols. All the edges are worn smooth with use and repeated handling.
All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Indian Subcontinent : Himalayas : Pre 1920 item #600680 (stock #T110)
Asian Ethnic Artifacts
$475.00
This is a Tibetan Ritual Celestial Crown also know as a Diadem or Ringga. It is worn by a necromancer or oracle during rituals. The "crown" consists of 5 separate paintings on paper and each painting is backed with thin cardboard for stiffness. The sections are connected with string. When worn, the crown is tied around the head with string. The sections are painted with the five Dhayani, celestial Buddhas, each painted with his traditional color and gesture. Each section is 4 wide by 6.5 h...
All Items : Vintage Arts : Regional Art : Asian : Chinese : Textiles : Pre 1950 item #619489 (stock #EMT114)
Asian Ethnic Artifacts
$475.00
This apron would be worn for festival by young woman, recently married and hoping to become pregnant or in the early stage of pregnancy. After the baby is born, the straps will be relocated so that the apron is converted to a baby carrier. The coin bottom border is show hope for good fortune for the baby. The 3 tassles on the end of the apron straps are show hope for eventually having 3 children. The butterfly is considered the mother of the Miao people.
All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Southeast Asian : Sculpture : Pre 1837 VR item #825459 (stock #SEA131)
Asian Ethnic Artifacts
$475.00
This antique carved wooden temple Buddha retains much of his original gilded paint. He sits on a tall base covered with the old Mon Khmer script which had been formed by scratching through the golden paint. The Buddha's head is topped with a stupa-shaped "flame" called usnisa, which symbolizes the realization of Nirvana. Perhaps that explains the soft smile and meditative expression on his face. He appears to be a Buddha from the Tai Lue ethnic group in Burma, the country currently known as...
All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Indian Subcontinent : Himalayas : Pre 1900 item #1406968 (stock #T)
Asian Ethnic Artifacts
$450.00
This Tibetan gau (aka prayer box) is actually a small shrine. When not being worn as an ornament during festivals, it would be kept in the prayer niche of the family home. The back of the box slides open. Frequently, a special prayer i.e. sutra pages would be placed inside. The small glass window at the front displays a Tsa tsa, which is a clay statue of a Buddhist Deity. These statues were made only by the monks and considered to be a holy relic. This antique gau has a front piece of silv...
All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Southeast Asian : Folk Art : Pre 1920 item #1299902 (stock #SEA148)
Asian Ethnic Artifacts
$375.00
Carved out of Bamboo this Buddha is 13.5 inches high,5 inches wide and 4 inches deep. He is a wonderfully carved example of folk art tradition with very gentle countenance.
All Items : Vintage Arts : Regional Art : Asian : Indian Subcontinent : Himalayas : Pre 1970 item #1358232 (stock #T201)
Asian Ethnic Artifacts
$350.00
In Tibetan Buddhism, the Kartika, or Drigug, is a ritual flaying knife used in burial rituals, with the handle crafted as a dorje. A tool of the wrathful female deities known as Dakinis, the kartika symbolizes the cutting of all things material, symbolized by the human body. The blade is left dull (never sharpened) because it was used in a ritual representing the flaying of flesh and not for the actual purpose.
All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Chinese : Architectural Elements : Pre 1900 item #872466 (stock #TC259)
Asian Ethnic Artifacts
$343.00
This hand carved panel is from a Chinese Buddhist Temple erected around 1860. The panel is deeply carved with a scene which takes place at the foot of the sacred mountain. Bits of mother of Pearl are inlaid into the mountain and is also used to highlight a few costume details.

This panel was used as an architectural element and has the mortise cuts in the top which were used to hold the panel in place. It is one of a pair of panels which were taken from the temple. The condition of this p...

All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Chinese : Architectural Elements : Pre 1900 item #872479 (stock #TC260)
Asian Ethnic Artifacts
$343.00
This hand carved panel is from a Chinese Buddhist Temple erected around 1860. The panel is deeply carved with a scene which takes place at the foot of the sacred mountain. Bits of Mother of Pearl are inlaid into the mountain and is also used to highlight a few costume details.

This panel was used as an architectural element and has the mortise cuts in the top which were used to hold the panel in place. It is one of a pair of panels which were taken from the temple. The condition of this p...

All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Chinese : Jewelry : Pre 1900 item #582272 (stock #T105)
Asian Ethnic Artifacts
$310.00
This is a wonderfully detailed silver needle case which was worn hanging from the belt. It has it's original long leather thong and silk tassel. Each side of the silver case has a central stone bead...one coral, one turquoise. The sides of the case (not pictured) have incised cloud/wave pattern. When opened, the case has copper with fabric arm to hold the needles. For indigenous and nomadic people, needles were an essential and valuable tool for survival of daily life. Because they were no...