Catalog (85)

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 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.

This Tibetan pipe was made and used for smoking hand rolled tobacco cigarettes only. The body of the pipe is antelope horn and according to the Tibetans, they stopped killing the antelope many years ago. Pipe is 8 inches long.

I bought this antique Tibetan ethnic minority needle case years ago in China. Needles were an important sewing tool for women of every indigenous culture and for the Tibetans the needle case was frequently worn as a jewelry accessory for costume adornment festivals. The small jade bi functions as a weight for stability at the bottom of the needle case. It is beautiful.

This traditional small leather purse would have been used as an ornament and hung from a belt by a Tibetan woman during festival. It is heavily decorated with silver metal, turquoise and coral beads. This is an old one and is in excellent condition.

Hand made from quality leather and decorated with delicate thread embroidery at the toe tips and last border, the traditional pair of womans leather shoes would have been worn by a woman of some means...judging by their overall condition, these shoes have been worn a few times.

This lovely antique Indo Persian box is covered with silver and bronze elaborate damascene work on the top and 4 sides. The box lid is slightly domed and the inside is lined with wood. Made in what was Persia, now Bidar India, this box dates to the early part of the 19th century, and is an fine example of Damascene metal work. In excellent condition, the box is 6.5 inches x 3.5 inches x 2 inches high.

Known in India as "Bidri", damascene metalwork was developed by the Persian court silversm...

Heavy fine silver bracelet. Bands of braided silver alost 2 inches wide Origin Maduya Pradesh India Raj period. Weighs 8.2 oz...

Instead of shoes, sandals such as these were worn in villages throughout India. Hand carved from indigenous woods, frequently teak and fitted to the individual wearer. The knob on the toe prevented the sandals from falling off and no other attachment was used.

This Buddhist figure was cast in bronze and sewn into a leather case. It would have been carried in a pocket or worn hanging about the neck by the leather thong...a personal amulet or talisman meant for protection. Good condition, 4 the case in 4 inches high and 3 inches across at the widest point.

This antique bracelet from Tibet is both thick and weighty, but it is very small for a Western wrist. The opening measures a scant 1 inch.

The front of this Tibetan Flint Pouch is decorated with silver and bronze ornamentation and an inset coral bead. The back is decorated with bronze buttons to protect the leather from excessive wear. The pouch still has its original leather strap which would have been used to secure the pouch to the wearers belt.

Flint was an essential and valuable item for nomadic and indigenous cultures and as such was frequently carries in pouch specifically designed for its use.

This antique document case would be used to house and transport important documents. The high quality silver decoration of vines and flowers uses both pierced and repousse techniques. The curious emblem displays a spade, heart, club and diamond. Originally owned by a wealthy family, it is from what was considered northern India, (possibly now Pakistan), during the Raj period, before partition. This document case has been held in a private collection for many years.

The case is in excellan...

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...

Out of Mongolia, this old leather tobacco pouch was made with a large button for hanging, long leather tassels, home made interesting decorative leather ornamentation...and hanging hook for removing old tobacco from pipe... Clearly old and well used: the leather is still playable. Great example of ethnographic folk art

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 ...

Lovely old pair of matching Tibetan tea bowls. Carved from burl wood with silver/metal decoration around the foot and silver liner inside the bowls. bowls are roughly 2 inches high and 3.75 inches diameter across the rimmed bowl

This traditional style of India woman's necklace has a bead at the ends which slides to adjust the length of the necklace to suit the wearer. The silver pendant would hold a lingam stone and has a cluster of small silver balls attached using a technique called "goli". The balls are not welded to the base, but are attached with a wire, giving them some slight movement.