Catalog (603)

This pair of bookends was carved by the Igorots on the northern part of the Island of Luzon in the Philippines sometime in the 1950's. Each bookend depicts a tribesman cautiously peering over his shield at the tribesman on the other side. From the position and shape of the right arm and hands, it is likely that each native was originally holding a spear. A very dense black wood was used to create these sculptures

This relic of a horse saddle was dug up in the southwester dessert area of southern California roughly 50+ years ago. Because of the style of the pummel it looks more Mexican than Western. How long it was buried is an open question. Because of the crudeness of the construction, it appears to be homemade by the user, definitely not from a wealthy family Because I like to keep items as authentic as possible, I have not oiled it...doing so would enhance the appearance of the wood but I leave th...

This old Chinese Miao ethnic minority child's hat is thickly padded for winter wearing. The red silk fabric with silk thread satin stitch embroidery really stands out. One silver butterfly ornament decorates the back of the hat and provides noise to protect the child from evil spirits. a bit dirty but hat is in very good condition.

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...

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 traditional Chinese woman's headband was made and worn during the Qing Dynasty toward the end of the 19th century. It has an applique embroidered butterfly on each end and a large full kingfisher feathered medallion in the center. The lotus shaped kingfisher is 4 inches x 2 inches. The entire headband in 16 inches in length.

This old Chinese stoneware ceramic pipe bowl (smoke chamber) would have been placed onto the smoking pipe to allow for a small piece of opium to be smoked. The tiny opening at the top would allow the smoke to be drawn into the stoneware chamber and cooled before being inhaled by the smoker.

The piece has 2 different makers marks which are clearly stamped into each side of the clay underside of bottom hole.

This is a Tibetan Ritual Celestial Crown also know as a Diadem or Ringga. It is worn by a necromancer or oracle during rituals. The "crown" consists of 5 separate paintings on paper and each painting is backed with thin cardboard for stiffness. The sections are connected with string. When worn, the crown is tied around the head with string. The sections are painted with the five Dhayani, celestial Buddhas, each painted with his traditional color and gesture. Each section is 4 wide by 6.5 h...

This ornately hand carved hard wooden frame comes with antique Chines lithograph of the summer palace. The frame is approx 8.5 x 13 inches...

This small strand of Buddhist prayer beads would have been kept in a pocket or looped on a belt. Bought in China from a Tibetan, the strand of tiny dark beads is broken up with coral beads to assist in counting. The 3 fabric triangles, from departed monks robes, are amulets containing various protective prayers. When used for ritual prayers, the fabric talisman would be held in the closed fist while the fingers count the beads. An Ancestors tooth, not bone, hangs from one of the talismans to...

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 blanket shaped Miao ethnic minority baby carrier is from Jian He and is a good example of the whorl pattern which was so significant to the Chinese Minority. Made from hand-loomed plant fibers (maybe cotton, maybe bast fibers) the surface is heavily decorated with appliques edged with chain stitching. This carrier is in good condition showing a minimum of wear and dirt and it 80+ years old

This Japanese tooled leather tobacco pouch (tabakoire) is embossed with a large dragon swirling about the back and front. The metal clasp is decorated with a coiled dragon. Attached to the pouch by 2 rows of 5 chains is a wooden netsuke (manjui) wooden netsuke with metal dragon. The inside of the pouch has 2 sections and the interior leather is tools with a flower motif.

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...

This Miao woman's jacket has hand embroiled detail collar, front lapel, and sleeve bands...background fabric of the body of the jacket feels like rayon but maybe silk...sleeves are heavy cotton... there is small hole 1/2 inch (looks like cigarette) on the back left side roughly 2-3 inches from hem... this jacket will fit a small woman... this style of woman's jacket is from the shidong area of Tia jiang. see drawing on page 55 According to the book "Clothing and Ornaments of China's Miao...

Each saki cup of this set of 6 has hand painted flower or foliage in the inside. The set is Japanese lacquerware from Meiji period.

From the Yi ethnic minority group, this antique Chinese container would have been used to store tobacco. The decorative cinnabar paint color draws attention to the gentle dome shapes of the lid and bottom sections, which fit together with a deep overlap. The worn areas of the cinnabar expose the black lacquer undercoat. As a folk art object, this tobacco container combines both the pleasing aesthetic craftsmanship and utilitarian need which shaped the daily lives of many indigenous ethnic gro...

This matching Japanese 5 piece set consists of 2 deeply footed shallow serving bowls and 3 small shallow bowls. The deep rich red/orange lacquer background serves to highlight the gold, black and gray landscape scene which graces the inside of each piece. Flying high overhead a gold crane surveys the pine tree and series of sacred mountains. The largest piece is 7 inches diameter, next piece is 6 inches diameter and the 3 pieces each have a 3.5 inch diameter.

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 ...

These 3 small oil lamps were brought back to the US by a Baptist missionary who lived and traveled extensively throughout China. Oil lamps like these were used for light source extensively throughout rural China by poor peasants. Simply made, presumed cut from scraps of tin and soldered into shape.. the lids come off for filling with oil and some original home made wicks remain in place. The tallest is 5 inches high...

This Chinese Door of Hope doll, along with several others, was brought back to the US during the 1920's by the American Baptist Missionary, Rebecca Cloud-Stewart. On one of her many trips back to the US to visit family and friends, she brought the collection of dolls as samples to sell and raise money for the Door of Hope orphanage. After many years in China, Miss Stewart returned permenently to her home in Georgia. During the 1940's and 50's, she would often go to the local schools, lecturing a...

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...

Large by Western standards, this is actually the "childs" size version of this foo dog necklace worn by the Chinese Miao minority 70-90 years ago. Made of low grade silver, typical of Chinese jewelry of the time period, the intricate pendant is 5.5 inches across, 6.5 inches long and suspended from a long hand-made chain. The heads of the foo dogs are in a pin which allows them to turn freely and the central "flower" is also suspended on a wire which allows it to spin.

This piece is a c...

Very Nice patina on this old Tibetan Dorje. It is 7 inches long. The Tibetan Dorje is the equivalent of the India Buddhist symbol of Vajra or Thunderbolt which represents the masculine force....

This is an old traditional style top shirt which would have been worn by a young girl of the Yi Chinese ethnic minority from Yunnan Province. the fabric is made from home grown cotton, hand spun, and hand woven. The collar surround and cuffs are trimmed with an intricate batik pattern and the tiniest embroidery stitched I have ever seen. The shirt has its original buttons. Good size for framing 14 inches across the chest.

Rare Chinese form, this Chinese chalice is from the late Qing Dynasty period. The dome shaped lid is topped with a gold finial. The surface of the piece is covered with cloisonne pattern. There is a floral design in black and brown which is offset against a background filled with a fretwork pattern. The chalice with its matching lid stands 9 inches tall.

The metal bottom of the chalice is stamped with the word China. This dates the piece between 1890 and 1914. It was the U.S. McKinley ...

During the Qing Dynasty, hair combs like this were commonly used. The structure is bone and the tines are of wood. A few tines have gone missing with age and use. The comb is about 5 inches x 2 inches.

This rare Qing Dynasty mirror folds flat for storage and traveling. The hand-carved wooden frame depicts bamboo stalks, and the mirror cover carving depicts an iris plant in full bloom. The cover drops forward and down thru the legs to the rear where it acts as a back support while the mirror is in use. Protected by a rear wood panel, the original silvered glass mirror does show its age. It can be easily replaced by sliding the rear wooden panel upward. The bottom of the front frame shows so...

Japanese Black box with bamboo gold leaf Makie decoration... Box measures 7.5 x 6.75 x 2.5 inches. Bottom of box has discoloration to lacquer and a slight separation of the boards....photo has been photoshopped to make condition defects clearly visible...I may have overdone it...

The outside of this antique perfume bottle, from Afghanistan, is covered with silver metal which has a detailed, etched and fire polished design. The bottom of the bottle reveals it lapis lazuli interior liner...bottle is approximately 4 inches tall

This old Japanese Noh theater mask has the expressive face of an old man. The mask is carved from paulownia wood and dates to middle Edo period, around 1750. The patina is wonderful.

Mask measures approx 8 inches high and 6 inches wide

Tibetan Buddhist monks Hand made folded paper with text and amulets. one side mostly with text and amulets on lower section. other side drawn amulet drawings with text This piece was from a collection gathered in Tibet in the late 60's..aged conservatively from the 1800's

Strand of Tuareg seed pod prayer beads from the region of Timbuktu, Mali. A talisman is added on with handmade cord and decorated with elephant hairs (from tail) and cowrie shells. The original cord was broken long ago and a few seed pods are missing. The original cord has been left in place and I have added a second strand to keep the strand together.

This man's beaded hat aka skullcap is typical of the Pashtun people in the region of Southern Afganistan. Because of the extensive beading pattern, it is rather stiff and heavy.

Presumably, the interior layer of fabric was from pieced of fabric from other garments.

This cradleboard was made by Cecilia Cuthair of the Mountain Ute Indians in the 70's probably as a child's toy. There is no papoose or doll inside...but it is stuffed with cloth covered newspaper to keep its shape. The front is soft cream colored deer or elk skin (brain tanned) with beaded trim. The rear is covered with animal skin.

The cradle board is 20 inches long and 8 inches at the widest point. Condition is pristine.

Before Contact, the eastern region of Canada was populated with the MicMac (aka Mic Mac, Mi'kmaq) tribal group of the Algonquian Nation. This traditional vintage circular trinket box is made from birch bark and decorated with porcupine quill work. There are a some broken/missing quills around the side of the box. measure 4.5 inches diameter and 2.5 inches high