Catalog (321)

From our Chinese Polychrome Collection, a good pair of hand-colored steel engravings circa 1843, drawn by Thomas Allom and engraved by W. Wetherhead and W.H. Capone. The first engraving is titled "Sowing Rice at Soo-Chow-Foo," and the second piece is titled "Temple of Buddha, Canton" both of which hail from the famous four volume 1840's series called "China Illustrated."

Thomas Allom (1804-1872) was a notable architect and topographical illustrator active during the mid-19th century, ...

From our Indian Subcontinent Collection, a fine 19th century brass surahi (water flask) paired with a large Kashmiri flashed-silver over lacquered-brass undertray, also 19th century. These two pieces were not originally part of a formal set, but we find that they make for an attractive and logical pairing. The surahi is of traditional form with large bulbous body, splayed foot, and long tapering neck. There are six individual cartouches of animated people and animals crafted into the lower bod...

From our Southeast Asia Collection, a large and classic 19th century Burmese Hsun-ok from Pagan, of well- known and documented form, constructed of wood that is first lacquered in black, and then covered in successive layers of cinnabar-colored lacquer called hinthabada. Over time, through use and handling, the cinnabar lacquer wears off to reveal the black lacquer base underneath. The negoro effect here is not as pronounced on this piece as it is on our other recently posted hsun-ok (see item ...

From our Southeast Asia Collection, a large and classic 19th century Burmese Hsun-ok from Pagan, of well- known and documented form, constructed of wood that is first lacquered in black, and then covered in successive layers of cinnabar-colored lacquer called hinthabada. Over time, through use and handling, the cinnabar lacquer wears off to reveal the black lacquer base underneath as seen on this example, in an effect likened to the negoro effect seen in Japanese lacquerware.

These old,...

From our Indian Subcontinent Collection, a large and elegant hand-etched brass floor lamp from Southern India. The etched designs on this piece are really quite intricate, and it is clear that a tremendous amount of time and handiwork went into the layout and artistry of this piece.

Size and Condition: 71 inches tall (just shy of 6 feet), lampshade is 18 inches in diameter at widest point. The lamp has been fitted with American electrical hardware and is still in good working order. ...

From our Indian Subcontinent Collection, a large and fine vintage Pakistani Bokhara rug using extra fine wool and silk in classic Tekke Gul design, handwoven on a vertical loom with cotton base, using a combination of natural mineral pigments and synthetic dyes in brown, black, taupe, cream, and pale green. Whilst Bokhara rugs are often perceived as utilitarian in nature and not seen as art objects by their makers, this particular rug is of such good quality that the maker decided to sign it. T...

From our Indian Subcontinent Collection, a large enameled silver box from Jaipur, Rajasthan (India), featuring a very attractively painted elephant in regal attire executed in royal blue against an irridescent turquoise background, with floral motifs in green, blue, and champagne color around the borders and on the sides, all executed upon high grade silver. This particular box is a larger example of another similar piece we offer, item # 937150.

There is a plethora of arts and crafts th...

From our Southeast Asia Collection, a very fine and intricate Indonesian original painting by N. Mandra of Ubud (Bali), depicting an offering scene executed in subdued earth tones. The painting is acrylic on canvas and is very well done.

Size and Condition: Framed dimensions are 32 inches tall, 24 1/2 inches wide. Perfect condition, no damages.

From our European Collection, a good set of Egermann Bohemian Crystal wine glasses, hand-cut, wheel-engraved, and stained in ruby colored crystal.

Egermann Crystal was founded in 1832 by Friedrich Egermann of Novy Bor, and is recognized as being one of the earliest pioneers of the cut, engraved, stained crystal making process from the Czech Republic that has come to be known as "Bohemian Crystal or Bohemian Glass." Egermann's main competitor is the Moser Company, but Moser actually ...

From our European Collection, a beautiful hexafoil Egermann Bohemian Crystal compote, a one-of-a kind artist signed original by Mledenov. This piece is hand-cut, wheel-engraved, and stained in ruby colored crystal. The general feel of this piece is classic old-world Egermann, and it pays tribute to the established Bohemian Crystal design motifs, but it is nevertheless an original and in a very interesting and elegant hexafoil form.

Egermann Crystal was founded in 1832 by Friedrich Ege...

From our European Collection, a large and beautiful Egermann Bohemian Crystal Vase, a one-of-a kind artist signed original by K.Varra. This piece is hand-cut, wheel-engraved, and stained in ruby colored crystal exhibiting the stag motif, which historically is a classic Egermann design for which the company is credited with being the very first to incorporate into crystal ware.

Egermann Crystal was founded in 1832 by Friedrich Egermann of Novy Bor, and is recognized as being one of the ea...

From our World Handicrafts Collection (Ex-Asia), a large, fine, and wonderfully vibrant hand-made kilim from Uzbekistan or the Caucasus Region, with bird and geometric motifs executed in a rich multicolor palette of indigo, red, blue, mint green, brown, cream, and purple against a burnt orange ground. A very elegant, intricate, and sophisticated example. This piece can be used either as a standard floor rug, or hung vertically on a wall as a dramatic art statement.

Size and Condition: ...

From our World Handicrafts Collection (Ex-Asia), an interesting hand-made wool prayer rug, probably Persian but it could possibly come from the Caucasus region as well. The rug features a main central medallion in rust colored ground, two minaret motifs towards the top, and geometrical motifs on the borders. The workmanship seems to be a combination of natural mineral pigments and synthetic dyes.

Size and Condition: 60 inches long, 39 inches wide. This rug has seen a fair amount of we...

From our World Handicrafts Collection (Ex-Asia), a very interesting Afghani hand-made tribal rug decorated with American military helicopter and B-52 bomber motifs. This piece was acquired about 16 months after the American military campaign in Afghanistan was launched in response to the 911 attacks, and in a fascinating example of art imitating life, the villager who crafted this rug chose to fashion it in this manner, reflecting the military aircraft he/she no doubt saw in the sky day after d...

From our World Handicrafts Collection (Ex-Asia), a charming hand-carved mirror frame from Cuzco Peru, sister city of the famed Macchu Piccu ruins. The wood used here is an indigenous Andean softwood that has been very skillfully carved in Spanish Baroque style, not uncommon since Peru was colonized by the Spanish in the 1500's and Spanish architectural influence still pervades their culture and crafts. The mirrored glass was installed later in the States. A lovely and unique gift item.

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An excellent pictorial reference book specializing in Song Dynasty ceramics with very good informative text by Rose Kerr. This is an especially well-photographed book with about 120 color photos covering all areas of Song Dynasty ceramics including Ru and Jun wares, Xing and Ding wares, Yaozhou wares, Cizhou wares, Celadon wares, Qingbai wares, and Jizhou and Jian wares. In our candid opinion, it's not enough of a reason to purchase an antique merely for the sake of a free book, but any client...

A very interesting reference book that is more a specialist's reference on a compilation of certain individual topics than a general survey book on Burmese wares in general. There are 15 different essays here dealing with a broad range of topics such as Burmese Buddhist Sculpture in the British Museum; Court Dress of the Shan States; Burmese Votive Tablets; Problems and Issues Concerning the Preservation of Wooden Monasteries in Burma; Burmese Arts and Crafts in the Scherman Collection (German...

An excellent pictorial reference specializing in blanc de chine (dehua) and a must-have book for anybody collecting within this field. The text by Robert Blumenthal is very good as well. We personally find that blanc de chine is probably the biggest area of fraud, abuse, and mistake by unscrupulous and /or unknowledgeable dealers, and as such it is probably the main area where novice collectors get burnt the most. From what we see, we estimate that a staggering 75% of so-called blanc de chine s...

An excellent pictorial reference book specializing in Chinese tomb sculptures. There are about 70 high quality, full color photos with text both in Chinese and English. The pieces represented cover mostly the same periods as the Bower book on the Solomon Collection, namely the Han, Northern Wei, Northern Qi, and Tang Dynasties, but this book also goes a little further to cover the Song, Yuan, and Ming Dynasties as well. In our candid opinion, it's not enough of a reason to purchase an antique ...

An excellent pictorial reference book documenting the famed Anthony M. Solomon Collection of Chinese Tomb Sculptures. There are about 60 high quality, full color photos plus some very informative text by Virginia Bower. The pieces represented mostly cover the Han, Northern Wei, Northern Qi, and Tang Dynasties This is a very good book for anybody interested in tomb sculptures. In our candid opinion, it's not enough of a reason to purchase an antique merely for the sake of a free book, but any...

An excellent and absolutely essential pictorial reference book for anybody interested in Burmese wares. From lacquerware to carved statuary to offering vessels of all kinds, this book has over 180 excellent full color photos of all things Burmese. In our candid opinion, it's not enough of a reason to purchase an antique merely for the sake of a free book, but any client already seriously contemplating a purchase can enjoy this as a free extra.

Many collectors, especially beginners, do n...

An excellent pictorial reference book specializing entirely in Japanese Imari wares. The pieces span the gamut from the earliest Imari wares of the late 17th century, all the way through the Meiji Period Imari wares of the late 19th century. There are over 100 high quality color photos. In our candid opinion, it's not enough of a reason to purchase an antique merely for the sake of a free book, but any client already seriously contemplating a purchase can enjoy this as a free extra.

Man...

A very good reference book that covers various Chinese export wares, but which is especially useful for Chinese Rose Medallion collectors. While the book is somewhat lacking in that most of the photos are black and white and not in color, the book is still very important as an encyclopedic guide to all the myriad of shapes and forms within the Rose Medallion genre. From standard vases and bowls to the more obscure shapes like marmites, sponge dishes, and bulb trays, this book has virtually ever...

An excellent pictorial reference book with an interesting specialty focusing exclusively on figures: The book covers figures from virtually all the Japanese ceramic disciplines including Imari, Kutani, Sastuma, Hirado, Banko, and Sumida, with a very nice and useful final section on Japanese marks. There are over 200 color photos all of which are quite excellent. In our candid opinion, it's not enough of a reason to purchase an antique merely for the sake of a free book, but any client already s...

A very good pictorial reference book focusing specifically on Imari and Kakiemon wares featuring about 95 color photos and some good overview text. In our candid opinion, it's not enough of a reason to purchase an antique merely for the sake of a free book, but any client already seriously contemplating a purchase can enjoy this as a free extra.

Many collectors, especially beginners, do not make enough effort to acquire good reference books, and are tempted to spend on pieces before the...

An excellent pictorial reference book focusing on tomb items from China's Golden Age with heavy concentration on Tang and Han Dynasty items, but Eastern Zhou, Warring States, Spring and Autumn, and Qin Dynasty Periods are covered as well. There are over 120 color photos, most pieces are bronzes and/or gilded bronzes, but there are also some jade and early pottery pieces represented as well. The text is also very informative. In our candid opinion, it's not enough of a reason to purchase an anti...

An excellent pictorial reference book specializing in Neolithic Period / Early Chinese wares with good informative text by Regina Krahl and other contributors. Truly a must-have reference book for anybody interested in Neolithic / Early Chinese pieces. There are about 65 color photos all of which are really quite excellent. In our candid opinion, it's not enough of a reason to purchase an antique merely for the sake of a free book, but any client already seriously contemplating a purchase can ...

An excellent pictorial reference book covering the Koger Collection which features Chinese wares spanning the Neolithic Period through the Qing Dynasty. There are about 155 color photos with editorial by John Ayers. The photos here are really quite excellent. In our candid opinion, it's not enough of a reason to purchase an antique merely for the sake of a free book, but any client already seriously contemplating a purchase can enjoy this as a free extra.

Many collectors, especially b...

From our Fine Arts and Americana Collection, a lovely hand-embellished serigraph by Janet Treby. Hand-embellished serigraphs are different from standard serigraphs in that hand-embellished serigraphs have actually been over-painted by the artist, and so they have the texture of an original. The artist accentuates details here and there, adds coloration, adds minute touches etc, so that in a sense, each hand-embellished piece becomes a "quasi-original," as the nature of the embellishment on suc...

From our Fine Arts and Americana Collection, "Earth and Sky," by Misha Frid, AP #9 (Artist's Proof) of 25. Signature and foundry mark on base.

Born in 1938 in Moscow, at the age of six, Misha began his artistic studies at a prestigious art school for gifted young artists. He graduated with honors from Moscow State Art College and The University of Fine Arts. The works he created in the Soviet Union were ultimately declared a National Treasure, and as such, by law these pieces could not be...

From our Fine Arts and Americana Collection, "The Harp Player," from Misha Frid's "Music Series." # 126 of 195. Signature and foundry mark on base.

Born in 1938 in Moscow, at the age of six, Misha began his artistic studies at a prestigious art school for gifted young artists. He graduated with honors from Moscow State Art College and The University of Fine Arts. The works he created in the Soviet Union were ultimately declared a National Treasure, and as such, by law these pieces could ...

From our Fine Arts and Americana Collection, "The Cello Player," from Misha Frid's "Music Series." # 4 of 195. Signature and foundry mark on base.

Born in 1938 in Moscow, at the age of six, Misha began his artistic studies at a prestigious art school for gifted young artists. He graduated with honors from Moscow State Art College and The University of Fine Arts. The works he created in the Soviet Union were ultimately declared a National Treasure, and as such, by law these pieces could n...

From our Indian Subcontinent Collection, a superb contemporary Indian miniature painting, executed in a very rich and intricately colored palette of burgundy, pink, dark green, mint green, blue green, mustard, peach, light blue, red, brown, black, white, blue-grey, and gilt. Ordinarily we prefer only the antique miniatures, but we thought this one was so well-done that we made an exception. In fact, in terms of proficiency of the painting here, we would stack this particular one up against t...

From our Indian Subcontinent Collection, a fine and large tempura on silk original painting depicting figures in what seems like a celestial dance, almost a magical procession. Back in the day we used to call these compositions "Peshawars," referencing their point of origin as Peshawar Pakistan, but it is possible that similar pieces are being produced in the border regions of Northern India these days as travel through Pakistan has become much more hazardous.

Size and Condition: Framed ...

From our Southeast Asia Collection, a very large and finely detailed Indonesian acrylic on canvas original by artist I Made Rajia of Penestanan Village, Ubud Bali, painted in 1999. This magnificent piece is composed in what is known as their "Traditional Style" genre, depicting a snapshot of typical village life. The artist here has used a somewhat unusual but very effective palette of earth tones combined with heavy emphasis of yellow and orange coloration to achieve a sophisticated but still...

From our Southeast Asia Collection, a superb Indonesian ebony wood carving of a Legong dancer, expertly rendered capturing the marvelous grace and elegance of this traditional Balinese dance.

As Wikipedia describes it, "Legong is a form of Balinese dance. It is a refined dance form characterized by intricate finger movements, complicated footwork, and expressive gestures and facial expressions. Legong probably originated in the 19th century as royal entertainment. Legend has it that a pri...