Catalog (603)

Toward the late Qing and early Republic periods, footbinding in urban centers became less common. But women were still concerned with fashionable footwear. This pair of beaded strips are actually shoes parts which would have been sewn with other matching beaded fabric parts to form a pair of beaded shoes

Early Japanese version of today's carpenters tool called a "chalk box". Carved from a block of wood, the well would hold cotton saturated with charcoal ash...this one has original wheel and string and shows that it has been well used....

This is the 3rd of 4 small individual antique Chinese carvings which I am listing separately. This one looks like Shou Lao the Chinese god of longevity, who was often represented along with the immortals. Each has a peg on the bottom which fits into the own homemade stand

This Ethnic Minority Chinese arm guard was formed using elephant hide leather. There is a slit running down the side which permit the guard to expand when being put on or removed. The ethnic minority Chinese were in frequent conflicts and wars with their Han neighbors. This arm guard is from the Yi ethnic minority group. It shows the wear and tear of use...

Charming Qing Dynasty Chinese pot used for warming wine or saki. Hot water would be poured into the main container and the small pot would hold the wine. Made of pewter or low grade silver with bronze fitting. each side of the outer pot has minor scratches on the surface.

This was the traditional jacket used by girls of the Yi Chinese ethnic Minority. Girls wore this style until they were married. This garment is small and was most likely worn by a child between 7-10 years old. It is sun faded and has an area of small drip stains on the lower back and is otherwise in good condition...No rips, no tears...2 traditional silver buttons

this antique pair of lotus embroidered lotus shoes are most likely from northern china. the vamp is a quilted cotton fabric. Each shoe is embroidered with the same floral design on both sides. The shoes were used and show some soiling on the vamp and the soles are slightly worn and dirty.

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.

Antique pair of Japanese samuri dolls aka musha ningyo representing the Empress Jingo and her faithful minister Takenouchi no Sukune. Unfortunately, the baby Ojin has been lost. Both dolls are beautifully detailed and in excellent condition. She is 9 inches tall and he is 6 inches tall. Shown on a home made stand

This antique type of metal work was common in Nepal during the 1800's and into the early 1900's. The birds beak is carved from bone which is dyed to color. The "jewels" are colored glass i.e. enamel drops of orange, turquoise and dark brown. Beak to tail tip the bird measures 3.5 inches and stands 2 inches high. Very good condition with one "jewel" missing on the side.

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.

This dagger was made from the leg bone of a cassowary bird. It was carved and used as a weapon by one of the indigenous tribal groups of Papua New Guinea, aka PNG. Approx 8 inches long with great patina and makes a wonderful example of an ethnographic artifact.

Chinese Miao Ethnic Minority blanket panal from Huang Ping. Approx 35 years old and excellent condition. Home spun cotton fabric pieced and appliqued. panel size approx 35 inches x 48 inches...the original border/bed overhang fabric (plain black) has been cut down and sewn to form a frame for the panel.

Probably used once and then packed away for another generation, this vintage silk traditional sari from Varanasi is a vibrant as the day it was loomed. A small leaf pattern of gold metallic thread dots the entire length of the deep green silk field. There is a 2 inch brocaded border on each side which also runs the length of the sari. The end panel is ornately patterned brocaded silk and makes extensive use of gold metallic threads. Throughout India, Varanasi sari are highly prized as wedd...

This Chinese Jacket from Yunnan Province, was part of the traditional Yao Ethnic Minory costume. Approx 50 years old this textile is handwoven from indigenous plant fiber. The fibers are supposed to "last forever" so jacket will "never show used"...The thread used for hand embroidery (mostly using cross stitch technique) appears to be cotton. Jacket would be worn open, the silver buttons are intended for decoration only. I also have the matching pants for the jacket, which also "live forever"...

This is an old Chinese inkstone has hand carved ox with head turned toward the natural "dragon's eye" moon. There are some chips along the edges of the ink stone and areas of natural inclusions. It is a very fine grain quality stone, dating to the early 1800's and measures 6 x 4.5 inches, and a bit over .5 inches thick.

This hand woven traditional childs top was worn by the children of China's Yi ethnic minority group living in Ma Li Po. It is in excellent condition with wonderfully detail batik work

This antique copper gau would have been kept in a prayer niche in the home and would be worn as an ornament for festival. In place of the Tsatsa (clay figure), there is a Tsakli. It was common practice to use a tsakli (small picture card) to represent the religious item which would be placed in the gau, when time and money became available. The original written talisman remains inside the gau also.

Gaus like this were commonly used by the Tibetans living inside China and those livi...

This antique copper reposse gau houses a picture instead of a clay tsa tsa which was common for a family gau. when the family could afford to do so, the picture would be replaced by a clay tsatsa. Curiously, this gau also houses 2 amulets, which were typically provided by a monk. The paper is very old and I am told it is bad Karma to unfold the amulet.

The Tibetan Buddhists used the gau as a prayer shrine usually placed on a special shelf in the home along with any other religious relics o...

Originally, this was the largest of a set of 3 graduated matching silver necklaces. They were worn as a set for festival by the Miao Chinese Ethnic Minority women. The necklace was skillfully hand-formed from a sheet of silver into a curving tapered tube with a reposse pattern of 2 dragons chasing pearl. It spans 10.5 inches across.

This lacquer serving tray from Burma now called Myanmar) depicts an elaborate palace garden scene populated with nobles in court costumes. The tray is 14.5 inches across. The top surface is somewhat dulled from age end exposure. There is one small area of lost which is irregular in shape, approximately 1/4inch and is locate on toward the rim of the platter and a second area of loss approx 1/8 inch at the widest and follows the curve border rim design for about 1 inch(see pics 2 and 3.

This lacquer serving tray from Burma (now called Myanmar) depicts has a central medallion with a mythical Burmese creature, a chinthei, surrounded with 12 individual vignettes depicting children and other creatures. The tray is 19 x 11 inches with a rim 3/4 inches high. The top surface is somewhat dulled from age and exposure.

This pair of traditional silver ear plugs were worn in the enlarge holes of the Yao woman of China and Thailand. The same filgree pattern is on both sides of the earplugs. The plugs are 1+ inches in diameter and 1/2 inches thick.

This apron is from the Huan Xi area and was part of the traditional Miao ethnic minority woman's festival costume. Made from home spun fibers,indigo dyed yarn, it is embroidered with tiny intricate cross stitch geometric design...the ties are also hand woven. The apron measures approx 17 x 17 inches and is in good condition...with a few very light stains which do not show on photo with enhancing...

This beautiful mottled gray/green color stone There is a carved with dragon which is deeply undercut so that he is suspended across the top of the stone. The ink reservoir has a matching stone cover. The ink stone is carved from a thick slab of stone, 10 inches across the back, 6+ inches back to front, and over one inch thick. It is heavy. It has been held in a private collection for about 20 years....conservatively dates from early 1800's. There is some damage to the rim of the ink reserve...

This antique Chinese civil rank badge has the golden goose representing 4th rank. Embroidered using brick stitch this badge is has a fret background,key border and is decorated with bats, turtles and flowers. Curiously the sun is missing but the badge is old and still has the remnants of a few threads which were used to sew it to the front of the robe. The badge has traditional blue silk lining and is in excellent condition. This badge was brought back from China by Rebecca Cloud-Stewart Mi...

This antique tea caddy still has some tea in it, but the tea is so old it cannot be identified by smell. I would not try using it. The bamboo veneer is carved on each of the 6 sides, some scenes and some calligraphy. The calligraphy is old Chinese so translation is...not easily possible.

Used for repeated printing of an image onto paper, this carved wooden ink block has the image of Fu Lu Shou, the Chinese God of Longevity. Almost 6.5 x 10 inches...this inkblock makes a nice wall hanging

Carved from animal horn this eyeglass case dates to the Qing Dynasty. What appears to be the original cord allows the case to be hung on a belt...The original toggle was replaced sometime (probably in the 50's) with current blue toggle...

This charming Japanese netsuke has the face of Noh theatre character surrounded with intricate basket weave pattern. It is signed under the chin dimensions 2.5 x 2 x 1 inch

A properly dressed Chinese woman would wear a pair of leggings to cover her lower legs from the bottom of her skirt 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. See my listing TC236 and ZTC233. This pair of leggings are purple satin weave fabric with ribbon and silk embroidered trim at the cuffs. There is some ares of fade on the basic fabric.

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.

A properly dressed Chinese woman would wear a pair of leggings to cover her lower legs from the bottom of her skirt 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. See my listing TC236 and ZTC233. This pair of leggings are of very fine red silk damask weave fabric with ribbon and silk embroidered trim at the cuffs.

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...

Ornate small pair of Japanese Girls Day display Emperor and Empress Dolls 4 inches tall... complete with hat, headress, fan etc...

Ornately detailed Meiji period hard to find pair of imperial archers for palace display Girls Day Hina Dolls. 5.5 inches high to the top of the head...