Catalog (110)

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...

This box would have been used to display sacred Buddhist Sutra or text book. The importance of the contents is indicated by the viewing windows on front, back, top and sides of the box. The exterior of the box is covered with black lacquer and over-painted with gold. It is painted red on the inside.

There is some minimal paint loss, which is to be expected in a piece of this age. 24 inches(60 cm) long 5 inches (12 cm) high

Long lengths of treads or first braided into a "tape" and then the tape is tightly sewn to a background in elaborate pattern to depict various elements of Miao legends and myths.

This pair of traditional short boots were made and worn by the Miao women of Anshun. They are in very good condition but the upper boot areas have some soiling and the soles show signs of wear.

This old Chinese child's cloud collar was hand sewn by a proud Miao Ethnic Minority grandmother. The ornate embroidery stitching includes applique and daiz which is misnamed the forbidden stitch by Westerners. The collar is in excellant condition and is 9.5 inches in diameter

This large Yi Minority Hair Comb would have been worn for most probably a wedding or other important festival. the comb was hand carved wood and covered with silver decoration...so only the wood tines are visible. 8 inches wide, 2.5 inches deep and 6+ inches high not including the chain and end pins...

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 Manchu style jacket is out of Northern China during the late Qing Dynasty...Hand loomed heavy weight cotton fabric with wool sleeve borders and embroidery trim. fits small woman...and makes an impressive wall display

Clearly made by an adoring grandmother, this antique Dong Minority hat is covered with a variety of ornate embroidery stitches including both wrapped thread and couching techniques. The hat is topped with silver half beads representing bubbles and a large top knot.. It is a bid dirty which would be expected in a childs hat of this age and use.

This brightly colored child's hat is Dong ethnic minority. The front is decorated with 9 silver Buddha ornaments and lots of intricate embroidery. Tassels and pompoms decorate the sides and silver bells with fish ornaments across the back protect the child from the approach of evil spirits.

Delicately carved with a floral motif, is horn was used to give domestic animals medicine. It is Chinese ethnic minority probably from Inner Mongolia. Horn is about 6" long and has small chip at the end of the bowl. It is a wonderful ethnographic piece for the tribal arts collector

The body of this antique Miao Chinese powder horn is carved with large spider web, small foo dogs, and clouds. The stopper is carved into a lotus blossom. The Miao believe that passed relatives take the form of spiders to visit and watch family members, so spider webs are left undisturbed in the home. This horn is from Kali area and is in excellent condition. It is 80-90 years old and approx 9" long.

The groups of Yao minority live in in both China and Thailand. This necklace is of low grade silver which was typical of the Chinese jewelry around the late 1800's and early 1900's. The necklace is light weight and comfortable to wear.

The variety and types of embroidery stitches on this antique Chinese hat are old typically Miao minority. Probably done by dotting grandmother. The silver ornaments, the butterfly, the bubbles are symbolic of the Miao myth regarding the birth of the human race. The hat shows some dirt but is otherwise in good condition.

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 Burmese antique offering plate was the result of work by dedicated and skillful craftsman. Beautifully woven of bamboo strips, the finished shape would be first painted with repeated layers of black lacquer followed by layers of red lacquer... obvious wear to red paint from repeated handeling through the decades of worshipers allows the under black lacquer to show through in varous areas... measures roughly 5 inches high (12.5 cm) by 10 inches wide (24.9 cm)

Barely used, this baby head cover was once attached to the upper part of a baby carrier so that it could be raised around the baby's head to protect it from the hot sun during a festival. Hand batiked with hand embroidered details, the border is decorated with rows of the tiniest hand stitching. measures 13.5 x 14.5 inches

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 old Chinese ethnic minority needle case is hand carved with geometric marking from end to end. Needle cases were essential tools for all indigenous cultures and frequently became important objects of decorated folk art.

This old Chinese Ethnic Minority inro is carved from animal horn and has 2 compartments. Each side is carved with a floral motif that is bordered with a key design. These symbols are especially meaningful to the Miao ethnic culture. The inro was worn suspended from the belt by a braided cord. It is a attractive ethnographic relic for the tribal arts collector. Condition is very good and the piece measures approximately 3.5" X 2

This Yao necklace and matching pair of earrings have added beads and long silk tassels. Both are light weight and easy to wear. The earrings are hollow with the same repeated design pattern on the backside. The wire loop may be a bit thick as they were made to accommodate the large ear holes which are traditional for the Chinese minority groups. These loops could easily be changed out for posts or a thinner wire hoop.

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 is a wonderful Qing Dynasty child's hat from Shui minority group in the Rong Jiang area. It is traditional looking Chinese cap style made with silk fabric and silk split thread embroidery, and top knot. This hat is over 100 years old, and has wonderfully soft patina, and shows some wear. Truely charming

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 small sitting Buddha dates to the 16th century...The cast metal is somewhat deteriorated as would be expected. The names and borders of the countries of southeast Asia have changed and moved over the centuries which makes naming specific country of origin somewhat difficult....Thailand,Burma,Siam... This is a wonderful artifact of Southeast Asian religious culture. 4 inches tall...

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.

For women of indigenous cultures, sewing needles were often hard to come by and considered valuable tools. Commonly, among such groups, cases were specifically designed to protect and safeguard the sewing. This particular antique silver needle case is from the Chinese Miao ethnic minority group and would have been worn by the women as a decorative costume ornament during festival.

Wonderful satin stitch embroidery of flowers and butterflies decorate this charming antique Chinese Miao baby hat. The front has 4 silver Buddha ornaments and the back sports the traditional Miao ornament of a butterfly with dangling bells to protect the child from evil spirits. The hat is softly padded to keep baby's head warm.

This is a very finely embroidered baby carrier from LiPing region. Threads of green and purple silk are used in satin embroidery stitches which are so heavy and so finely done that they almost totally cover the hand-loomed fabric. Additional decorative elements include border areas banded with tiny triangular folded fabric and hand-loomed bands.The upper portion of the carrier would be used to protect the baby's head from the elements. The 3 tassles indicated either that the mother has 3 child...

Though sourced from northern China, this antique powder flask is most likely Chinese ethnic minority from the southern regions. There are 3 flasks for carrying gun powder. Used rifle cartridges are used both as stoppers and bullets are held in the shaped spacers between the powder flasks. It was made by shaping and then sewing 2 pieces of heavy leather (probably elephant hide)together.

This shoulder bag was made and used by the Hmoung women of northern Thailand. It would carry all the traditional items which would have been commonly found in a woman's purse. The bag fabric was hand loomed from the indigenous plants and then embroidered using traditional cross-stitched with geometric patterns. Beads, silver ornaments and tiny pompoms are added for decorative enhancement of the bagface. This piece is in good condition.

This Many Westerners have been told that the Miao et...

This Miao Baby carrier is from the Bai Ling region of China. As is typical of this region, the straps are embroidered. This attractive piece was probably only used for a few festivals before being stored away for the next generations use. In excellant condition, it measures 38" long.

This hat is extensively decorated with the wrapped thread embroidery technique which is distinctive to the Dong Ethnic Minority group. Additionally detailed with tassels and plastic beads, the hat was clearly made by a loving grandmother approximately 30-35 years ago. The hat is in excellent condition.

Incredible precision is the hallmark of this hand embroidered baby carrier from Ge Jia. The piece is bordered with batik and hand stitch detail which is so fine and precise that it looks like it was done on a machine but it was definately done by hand. This carrier is in very good condition. This older style is now highly prized and rarely appear on the market. baby carrier is 23 inches wide at the top and 27 inches long.

This old Chinese necklace is from either the Dong or Miao minority group. The central medallion is domed on the front and flat on the back. The weight of the medallion indicates that it is hollow. It depicts a minority style dragon from minority legend. With the assortment of items dangling, the necklace is reminiscent of a chatelaine.

the central medallion diameter is just over 4 inches and from the top of the medallion to the bottom of the longest drop is approx 7 inches. It can eas...

Beautifully carved powder horn from Chinese Miao ethnic minority over 90 years old from Guizhou Province. The underside of the horn is full of old writing. Unfortunately, no one can read the old writing. Around the turn of the century the forests around the Miao villages were full of game and the men would frequently hunt for game to provide family meals. Unfortunately, most of the game has diminished and many of the hunting skills are forgotten.