Catalog (603)

This brightly colored child's hat is Dong ethnic minority. The front is decorated with 9 silver Buddha ornaments and lots of intricate embroidery. Tassels and pompoms decorate the sides and silver bells with fish ornaments across the back protect the child from the approach of evil spirits.

very nice old beaded choker/armband in good condition. measures 2.25 x 13.5 inches

This antique Chinese hand carved wooden bobbin still has a length of home spun thread which winds around the middle. The bobbin shows extensive use, with some areas of paint and finish heavily patinated and other areas just worn away.

This old vintage brass pendant has a seated Buddha detailed on the front with good stone work. The back of the pendant depicts a double has dorjie. Measured on the diagonals...2.5 inches x 2.75 inches.

This elaborate antique embroidery panel is from Gujrat India and would have been used as a dowery quilt. It is backed with soft aged (now muted) cotton fabric, leaving a 4 inch border surrounding the embroidery. The gold and silver metallic threads are also somewhat subdued and blended giving the panel a soft and somewhat muted appearance which is very pleasing. It is rare to find these old textiles from India intact as many of them where cut up into smaller sections and sold to textile colle...

This antique pipe has burl wood bowl with silver filling (one ring missing) and a horn mouthpiece which has obviously been well used. There are a few short residual threads from what was probably originally a tassel. It is a wonderful ethnographic relic of folk art.

Clearly made by an adoring grandmother, this antique Dong Minority hat is covered with a variety of ornate embroidery stitches including both wrapped thread and couching techniques. The hat is topped with silver half beads representing bubbles and a large top knot.. It is a bid dirty which would be expected in a childs hat of this age and use.

During the Qing dynasty, an essential part of the Chinese woman's costume was the doodoo, which was worn covering the chest. This one is fine silk with lovely embroidery and is lined with traditional blue silk. It measures 16 inches across and 17 inches high. excellant condition

Worn for festival, this shapely Tibetan belt is covered with black and coral colored beads, cowrie shells and has a central medallion of silver with turquoise beads. The belt is secured around the waist with cord ties which extend from each side, I have used it as a wall decoration. At the widest section, the belt is 4 inches...The entire beaded length is 26 inches, but with the cord ties it will accommodate a large waist size

This antique Mongolian belt evokes the image of Mongolian horseman galloping across the plains... The chain is heavily patinated from age and use. The deeply doomed central medallion retains the original stained dark finish and highlighted gold (unknown source) on the border and central decoration. This piece is heavy... the central medallion is 6+ inches across,3.5 inches wide, and 3+ inches deep.

Fleece-lined and hand-made using the old fashioned traditional Chinese methods, only the mid 20th century fabric of the lining and ears identify these shoes as a later made at a later time period. They were probably made by a dotting grandmother and were well worn by a young child.

This antique Korean serving tray would have been used for serving tea or individual meals. The signature characters on the bottom are followed by the symbol for "student", presumably the tray was carved by an apprentice. The bottom also has rough darken areas for a more secure gripping surface and shallow attached feet which also have rough bottoms.

The tray has a delicately upturned lip, a deep rich red brown color. It is approx 13" x 9.5 inches. No cracks or chips but the surface does h...

This is a charming one-of-a-kind hand-carved box. It has a crudely carved dog on top with wooden hinge that swings open. There are side openings for striker strip.

This long handled basket is out of Shanxi Province. There are the remnants of the original woven rattan "ring" on the handle which allowed the basket to be hung from a hook on the ceiling rafters...safe from rodents... Inside the rim of The outer basket, there is a smaller basket which allows for a separate food storage area... 25 inches tall and 10 inches wide at the bottom

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, ...

This Indonesian container would have been carried by a man using the handmade string as a shoulder strap. The "purse" was hand carved out of a local hardwood and both the top and bottom have decorative details.

The container sits stably on it base but can also be hung on the wall as an interesting sculpture artifact.

Approximately 9 inches high, 7.5 inches across and 4 inches deep.

This traditional antique Chinese brushpot is made from bamboo, and is deeply carved with upper and lower scenes. The brush pot measures 11 inches tall. Surface cracks do not go through to the inside of the pot.

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

This woven Tibetan container would have been used to hold a pair of wooden tea bowls...there is an interior separator (removable) which allows for the separation of tea bowls. Hand made using plant materials (hemp) and rattan with leather closures Bowls would have been packed into container such as this when traveling... and from the condition of this one...it has traveled many times. The container is 6 inches diameter at the top and 4 inches high...well aged fair condition...

Oval shaped pendant decorated with surface decoratrion and bits of gold detailing, all circling a large lapis lazula stone... This pendant was brought out of China sometime in th 60s/70s...along with many other vintage bits and pieces of old jewelry collected thoughout of China. It looks like it was originally from somewhere in the middle east...silk road transport... It is 2 inches wide x 1.5 inches high...and 3/16ths wide... this piece is assumed to be hollow...It may have been used as...

Finely carved and once elaborately painted, this antique figure was probably from a small shrine. Clearly used and handled over the years, piece still has some areas of original paint. Some residual of an inked signature on bottom. carving may be of a monk or other religious figure. Stands about 2 inches high.

This pair of traditional short boots were made and worn by the Miao women of Anshun. They are in very good condition but the upper boot areas have some soiling and the soles show signs of wear.

All hand-sewn Eskimo doll probably made sometime during the 60's. She is dressed in nicely detailed fur parka with fox trimmed hood and has hand-painted facial features on leather face with fur hair She is 11 inches high and in good condition

Nice old traditional Chinese opium scale with travel case. The measuring stick is ivory and marked to indicate weights. Approximately 13 inches long, this piece is obviously old and shows signs of use but is in good condition.

This pair of matching fans came from an old wealthy collectors estate..along with several others. This pair is in pristine condition with dark wood handles (possible zitan wood) and fan section is basket type weave of unknown plant fiber, the silk tassels have gold bindings...

This Hagoita depicts the princess in the Kabuke play Musume Dojo-Ji. This paddle is a wonderful example of the folk art of Japanese folded fabric into deeply sculptured relief. Though rarely used now, the paddles today are valued as an ornament that is believed to bring good luck.

Unfortunately, though in otherwise excellant condition this Meiji period princess has lost some of the foil pedals from her headdress.

This small wooden box has a charming scene with 2 happy dragons carved into the sliding top. All 4 sides are carved. Late Qing period, box is in good condition, and measures 5" x 3" x 1.5

22 inches long and a century of hard use but the tip is clean and sharp. I suspect a skilled carpenter could still use this old Chinese drill to build a cabinet or post and beam house. Personally, I am so thankful for electrical tools.

In old China, a carpenter's tools were also considered as an symbol of the quality of his craftsmanship. This antique carpenter's tool has a hand carved dragon with some of the original paint remaining in the crevasses. The plumb bob is made from a section of animal antler. The old Chinese carpenter would fill the bowl with charcoal and it would be used to snap a straight line.

modern day items of this are still used by carpenters worldwide but they are made of metal or plastic and filled w...

During the 1800's and early 1900's, "Rocaille beads" from southern France were brought into the coastal regions of southern China and used to bead various accessory articles such as headbands purses and shoes... The area of China known as the "staits" became famous for such beaded items. . The Straits Chinese referred to the beads as manek potong ('cut beads') and acquired them from street peddlers and specialist merchants for the purpose of beading and embroidery. this pair of beaded str...

Clearly for a wealthy family, this small lamp was meant to be used as a personal light. The cat like figure has a filler hole between the ears, good weight (important for stability) and is silver in color, but exact metal content is not known...He/she is charming...4 inches x 3.5 inches wide and 1.5 inches deep...

This small Chinese hand made purse would have been made by a woman for her personal use or possibly as a gift to a female friend. It was made using cotton background fabric and hand embroidered with silk thread on each side. The butterfly and floral motifs were made with silk thread using a combination of satin stitches, chain stitches and couching embroidery techniques.

It is a charming example of a Chinese woman's needlework and is in excellent condition. Each side opens separately and me...

The shape of this antique pendant is a Dharmachakra or "wheel with 8 spokes", which is one of the eight auspicious symbols of Tibetan Buddhism. Eight oval shaped turquoise surround a ninth turquoise stone, with each stone set in a silver bezel on a silver backing. When mined, turquoise is a soft stone, and all old stones were set into a bezel for protection. Later stablization processes were used so that bezels were no longer required.

pendent measures approximately 4 inches tall and 3.75 ...

These 3 Japanese porcelain cups and saucers were hand painted with a delicate landscape scene. They are the matching set to the previously listed Japanese chocolate pot dealers number J157 or troc #1008113. Thought the set was made for chocolate, it can easily be used for tea.

This is a traditional Chinese pack saddle which were used throughout China for carrying various sacks of grains and goods. The front is carved foo dogs and there is a key carved decoration around the border. It is unusual to find this type saddle with the painted black lacquered finish. This one was probably owned by a wealthy family and used only for special events. The finish is worn off as the straps from the packs and sacks have worn off the finish across the areas where they would have ...

Lovely antique copper pot with ornate reposse silver decoration from Tibet. Probably used for butter tea...Roughly 13 inches high...heavy gauge copper with a few minor surface dents commensurate with age...Rare and gorgeous

This small Chinese inro style container would have been worn suspended from the wearer's belt. It was hand carved from wood and detailed on each side with delicate decorative carvings of birds, flowers and a phoenix.

The piece is 2.5 inches high and 2 inches at the widest point. Because of its small size and shape, it was most likely used as an opium container. The inside has been carefully cleaned to avoid dog encounters at the airports.

A properly dressed Chinese woman would wear a pair of leggings that would cover her foot bindings from her lower leg 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.

This pair of silk sashes were were woven with a floral pattern using 2 colors of brightly contrasting threads. The long warp end threads are braided into tassels. This pair is in excelle...

Possibly made from an old kimono, this sweet drawstring purse charming painted and appliqued scenes of trees, rocks and flowers going around the body of the purse. The bottom shows a country gentleman sitting on a rock under a tree enjoying the mountain view. overall condition is very good, however the fabric sleeve for the drawstring is deteriorated. Purse measures 7" across bottom

This hat was brought back by a nurse who was in Tibet as part of a medical relief team sometime in the 80's. Hat appears to have not been worn and is in excellant condition.

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...

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 pair of antique Chinese sleeve panels have wonderfully detailed hand embroidery of satin, seed, and couching embroidery techniques. The panels are bordered with plain silk of the period total length 21.5 x 9 inches wide

From Ibaden, Nigeria this traditional Yoruba cloth was woven by the men of the village. It was worn tied around the waist of the woman, and used as a baby carrier. This piece was brought back from Africa in 1961. Hand loomed of cotton fibers, it has a wonderful soft color and texture. It measures 10" wide and 68" long including fringe.

This deep blue Japanese cloisonne vase is decorated with 4 panels. Two of the panels have a dragon against a rust colored goldstone background. The other 2 panels have a bird against a dark green goldstone background.

Vase is in very good condition, no chips, no dents, and no losses.

beautiful old hand mirror... small amount of deteriation to mirror silver back....typical for mirror of this age.. total length 9.5 inches width 3.5 inches at widest point and .5 inches thick at the handle...

This soft pale pink colored antique Chinese silk skirt is from the late 1800's. The traditional floral embroidery is mainly uses satin stitch technique with the large flower in the center of the front and rear panels use Peking knots. In over all excellent condition but the two panel have been stitched together and the waist band has been shortened to accommodate the adjustment. Also the lining has been removed... I will be traveling with very limited internet access from Dec 11 to De...

This pair of low grade silver Chinese Bracelets are Miao Ethnic Minority. Low grade silver was used extensively throughout China during the 19th and early 20th century. To a Westerner the backs look like the bracelets are adjustable, this is a decorative element only and they are not adjustable. The fronts are deeply etched with animals. At the widest point in the front the bracelets measure 1.25 inches. They are oval in shape and very comfortable to wear...I prefer to sale them as a pair but ...

This fan was made for export during the 1930's. Silk fabric with hand painted "city life" scene and support struts of black lacquer with ornate painted decoration.

The only differences between this matching pair of Japanese woman's hair combs are the very slight details in the hand-painted design and the size and spacing of the tines. The finely detailed lacquer design was painted in 3 shades of gold. Unfortunately the minute details, flower petals and tree knots are hard to see in the photos.

This is a traditional style full length silk robe, aka Chapan, from Uzbekistan/Tajikistan area. The pattern was made using an ikat dye technique, and the robe is padded and machine quilted. Excellent condition, shows very little wear...stunning

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 small silk jacket was made and worn by the child of a wealthy traditional Han Chinese family. The dark blue silk fabric is embroidered on the front and back with a floral arrangement. There are additional decorative elements of tassels and border trim. The jacket spans 15 inches across the chest.

The jacket is in very good condition with only a slightly visible stain on the front embroidery, which would be expected of a childs jacket of this age.

These antique iron stirrups probably belonged to a low level horse soldier of the Chinese army during the Qing dynasty. They are well patinated.

Simply beautiful...describes this Japanese lacquer tray table which would have been used for serving sake. From the Meiji period, the deep rich black roiro-nuri lacquer background sets the scene for the emaki-e gold paint depicting a landscape of trees, flowing water and hills.

pristine condition....8 inches high 9.5 inches wide and 9.5 inches deep

This headdress would have been worn by a young Pashtun woman. It is heavily beaded and decorated with wonderful embroidery, and various buttons and coins. The Pashtun range across Afghanistan, Pakistan and Northern India. This hat was sourced in India but it may not have started there.

The head dress hat is 25 inches long and is in excellent condition.

This antique childs toy was brought back from Chinese by an American Missionary during the early 19th century. The snake or possibly a dragon has jointed body which can easily be moved to assume different positions. Obviously hand carved in the Chinese folk art tradition, this toy is in excellant condition. It displays nicely on the custom made stand.

This blouse is from Thailand and made for use by a Karen Hilltribe woman. First the fabric was hand woven from cotton fibers. Next the surface was lower half was elaborately decorated with cotton thread embroidery and tiny sea urchin shells using a geometric pattern. Then it was whip stitched into the form of a blouse using white cotton thread. This garment makes a wonderful display piece and can also be worn for special occassions. 23 inches across and 27 inches long.

This Antique leather Tuareg belt is from the African region of Timbuktu, Mali. The total length of the belt including the fringe is roughly 46 inches. The 2 leather talisman or amulets are flat and they loosely loop around the belt so their position can be re arranged. They were sewn shut, protecting the contents. Because of their inaccessibility...it is not possible to know if the contents are amulets or talisman. They measure roughly 3 inches x 2.5... and 3.5 inches x 2.5. Amulets are...

This traditional Mexican Serape textile from the 1920's measures 64 x 84 inches. Fibers are cotton and fine wool with "eye of god". Excellent quality and condition. really beautiful