Catalog: Antiques (488)

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...

These 3 collars were originally the collar portion and were sewn to a lower section to forming a child's pinafore... Home spun yarns intricately hand woven with hand embroidered details... sold either separately or together as a collection

This embroidery panel was originally the front bodice of a dress...Hand embroidered over several layers of heavy fabric and using mirrors and silver and gold metallic threads...this dress bodice was a show piece probably used only for important occasions i.e. weddings etc. Very ornately embroidered, this panel measures 19 x 22 inches. the picture of the back side of the bodice indicates serious wear and age...

This Chinese Double handled Cloisonné cup has its original blown cobalt blue glass insert... Old red wax seal on bottom from the 70's by Chinese gov official as being between 100 and 200 years old and therefore allowed to be taken out of China... see pic at bottom pic...1.75 inches x high 3 inches diameter of cup and 5 inches across includes both handles

According to my Miao friends, these coin purses were often made by a girl as a gift to a prospective boyfriend...and depending on where and how he wore the purse, it would indicate his feeling for her... they can be sold separately or in multiples 1 piece  $175 plus shipping  2 pieces $325 plus shipping 3 pieces $450 plus shipping 4 pieces $525 plus shipping

Traditional Manchu style Qing Dynasty embroidered silk vest..Original drop buttons and loop closures... stunning ...fits small woman...a few hard to find light stains.

beautiful old hand mirror... small amount of deteriation to mirror silver back....typical for mirror of this age.. total length 9.5 inches width 3.5 inches at widest point and .5 inches thick at the handle...

Yes, contrary to Western myths, lotus shoes were worn by all classes of Han Chinese women.... This pair of Chinese peasants lotus shoes were made from scraps of blue indigo dyed cotton fabric Clearly they were well worn, which is part of the reason that peasant shoes are rare... They are from the southern part of China...just under 5 inches...

In some regions of China, women made separate pairs of heels for their lotus shoes. That way, the heels could be worn with different pairs of lotus shoes, depending on the occasion, or mood. The heels had loops for straps which were used to tie the heels into place on the shoe...

This pair of black silk lotus shoes date to the late Qing Dynasty. Back then, a woman's job was to make shoes for the members of her family. This woman was from a financially comfortable family with servants to do other household chores. Making this pair for herself, she choose a black silk satin fabric for the vamp and made an elegantly sloping sole which would accommodate separate inter changeable heels to be attached...

Rare Miao festival top from Lan Dian China 90+ years old covered with various embroidery techniques home spun fabric and in excellent condition

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...

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

Sometimes assumed by Westerners as "medical models" these are Chinese fertility dolls. As ritual items, they rarely come onto the market. Used by several Chinese ethnic minority cultures, including the Miao, Yao and Naxi, the old fertility dolls were hand carved, anatomically correct and with pegged and jointed limbs. The hair styles and head gear would vary depending on the minority group...

This is a heavy Chines necklace which was worn by the Dong ethnic minority women. It can be worn and also makes a very impressive display artifact.

The bib front and back are domed to a thickness of about 1 inch at the center and the piece spans over 10 inches side to side. The weight of the piece (approx 2 lbs)indicates that the piece is definately not hollow

This charming adult female Door of Hope doll is 11 inches tall. Her face is somewhat darkened with age and the lower fronts of her trouser legs are faded from sunlight. She has all of her original clothing layers. Her top tunic is a bit dirty in the front and has a small tear at the rear of the right sleeve. Yet, even with these "condition problems" she retains the quiet beauty which has made the door of hope dolls such a collectors treasure.

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

Antique Chinese summer court hat complete with red silk tassels which extend down from the finial to cover the hat. Officials would use their "court" hat for non-formal ceremonies or daily businesses. The finial would be added to the hat during formal court ceremonies held by the Emperor...