This Yao painting of tribal ancestor spirits originally was part of a set of 27 scrolls that comprised a full Yao (Mien) Bible. (See photos and descriptions of a complete set archived on our website www.silkroad1.com by entering 57-33 in the search box.) This painting is one of two “orphan” bible pages we found that most likely were replaced in a bible with similar new paintings, which is sometimes done to refresh the set...

A Mandalay Buddha standing two feet tall strikes a graceful pose, with right hand in the varada mudra of charity and the fulfillment of wishes. Carved of dense Burmese teak wood, this early to mid-20th century figure is coated with a dark red matte lacquer highlighted with a liberal application of gilding. This Buddha’s finely carved face is striking, with especially large elongated eyes and brows...

An oversized Chinese teapot standing two feet (61 cm) tall is lavishly decorated with a floating phoenix, twisting dragon and lots of clouds, flowers and foliage. This is a vintage 20th century piece in excellent condition. Dimensions: height to top of handle 24” (61 cm), width including spout 15” ( 38.2 cm), diameter of pot 17” (45 cm). SEE MORE ITEMS IN OUR COLLECTION AT WWW.SILKROAD1.COM

A serene reclining Mandalay Buddha that dates to the 1960s is carved of dense Burmese teakwood. Contrasting with the sleek, smooth lines of the dark reddish brown teak is a robe richly adorned in intricate swirls that were carefully crafted of thayo, a lacquer thickened with bone ash that is used with great expertise by Burmese artisans. The robe is artfully draped and carved with deep folds. The three folds carved in the neck are seen on most Burmese Buddha images...

The fretwork in this vintage Chinese architectural panel combines both rounded and straight-edged pieces of elm wood to create a simple, elegant pattern. Large openwork panels such as this were handcrafted by artisans into many hundreds of fretwork designs and set within a variety of square, rectangle, round, hexagon and octagon frames to be used as interior windows in old Chinese houses, providing light, air circulation and a feeling of space...

A large wood hexagon panel in the Chinese fretwork pattern known as “cracked ice” or “broken glass” has a light, airy look despite measuring nearly 32 inches (81 cm) in diameter. The piece is centered with a round carving of two birds in a flowering tree. Used as wall art, such fretwork brings texture and interest and makes a space appear larger...

The orchid and bamboo, classic Chinese brush paintings, were prized by Chinese scholars who positioned the paintings prominently in their studios because, they said, the nature of the orchid and bamboo closely mimicked laudable human virtues. Orchids represented love, beauty and refinement, and bamboo stood for longevity and durability...

This hand hammered bronze gong from Burma emits a mid-range mellow tone when struck at the center of its starburst pattern with a padded mallet. Hanging circular gongs of this sort are used in a Burmese orchestra, where an ornate lacquered wood gong circle, called a “kyi waing” surrounds 20 or so gongs of graduated sizes and tones. Gongs of various sizes also are used for Buddhist rites in temples and monasteries throughout Burma...

A bronze oil lamp that dates to the latter years of Burma’s British colonial period (1890-1941) is built around the figure of a smiling Burman holding out a small oil receptacle. The piece, nearly two feet in height, has a decidedly art deco look, in spite of the figure’s native dress...

This graceful Mandalay Buddha, nearly two feet in height, seems to float above its low double lotus throne. The floating effect is achieved with the robe, edged in a Burmese lacquer technique called thayo that ripples lightly across the wide pedestal and cascades in loose folds down the front and back of the slender figure’s left shoulder. The face is serene, with wide downcast eyes and finely executed nose and mouth...

The gentle face of a Buddhist monk from Burma is painted on a large leaf from a Bodhi tree. The Bodhi leaf, with its distinctive shape, is an important element of Buddhist iconography in Southeast Asia as Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment while meditating under a Bodhi (also called Bo) tree. In this painting, the monk’s expressive face appears to be looking through the leaf, adding an almost magical aura. The leaf rests on black cloth, and the work is unsigned...