Catalog: Antiques (488)

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.

Made from ox horn, and shaped into a perfectly balanced shoehorn, this antique Chinese folk art artifact serves in both form and function. There is a delicately carved design on the back. The handle part of the horn has eyes carved so that the piece takes the shape of an animal and there is a hole carved so that the shoehorn can be hung from a cord. I vaguely remember hearing that the Chinese inventing the shoehorn, but have not been able to verify this as historic fact.

The top of this black lacquer Japanese box is heavily carved with leaves and foliage. The carved oval cinnabar panel in the center depicts a long and stable marriage scene. The standing wife has just served her sitting husband tea in the garden, outside the house surrounded by mountains. The four sides of the box are carved with continuous textile design.

The box is 5.5 inches x 4.75 inches and 2+ inches high.

These antique Chinese hat stands are carved from an unknown wood. Their interlocking parts can be separated easily, so they may have been designed for traveling. They can be sold separately or in groups and used to "show off" your hat collection or as interesting artifacts of Qing dynasty culture.

The hat stand on the left side comes apart into 2 pieces and stands 11" high.

The stand on the right also comes apart into 3 sections with 2 pieces in each section. This stand is 12" tall.

Intricately detailed, this miniature scaled model of a japanese tea house was the result of a village folk art craftsman sometime between the late 1890-1920. Each piece is carved from bamboo and is pegged into place. The rice paper shutter doors slide and addition solid shutters are stored in the exterior swinging compartments. The roof is easily removed to reveal the inside which is furnished with an alter, bamboo scroll,flower vase and serving tansu with sliding doors...

This antique lidded container was made for jewelry or other small household items. Obviously hand made, probably by the original owner, it does have a few surface nicks from age and use. With a 5 inch diameter and standing approx 4 inches high, it is a charming artifact of Chinese folk art.

An unidentified hard wood was used to carve this set of 4 matching wooden saucers. They would have been used for tea bowls and have traditional red/orange lacquer paint over a treebark carved pattern on the front surface. Each saucer was carved into a diamond shape with gently curved sides and are each was carved into a thin, shallow bowl shape. This is a rare and unusual set in very good condition.

Each piece measures 5 inches x 4 inches and 1 inch deep.

This plain pot metal vessel was used to contain hair oil during the reign of Chinese Emperor Daoquang about 1850. Standing about 6 inches high and 3.5 inches diameter at the widest point, a woman would dip her comb into the oil before combing her hair. I do have an identical matched pair of these but am selling them separately.

A Chinese doctor would use this stoneware clay pillow to support the wrist while taking the pulse of a patient.

The pillow was made using slab construction and all the surfaces are decorated with a star pattern and covered with a traditional glaze. There is a tiny vent hole on the bottom to facilitate firing. It measures 4.5x3 x 1.5 inches and is covered with traditional green glaze...

This traditional Dayak medicine container is made in 2 pieces. The upright piece is carved from wood representing ancestor spirits at the prow of a boat. The horizontal piece is a carved animal horn, presumably goat. The original wooden hinge pin has been replaced with a new piece of wood as the old one was broken and unusable. Dayak is the general name used for the various indigenous tribal groups living in Borneo, which is now called Kalimantan.

This Buddhist sutra book was from Ceylon, now called Sri Lanka. The front and rear wooden covers painted red with random gold paint spatters. The sutra book contains 16 handwritten pages made from palm leaves, which are held between the covers with cord. Measurements 25" x 2"

Many Chinese would "grind" a day's supply of ink in advance and store the liquid ink in a metal "inkbox". According to the calligraphy on the top of this inkbox, it was a gift in the year of the goat, to a medical inspector upon completion of his 3rd year of work in Yuncheng city, Shanxi province. The inkbox is 3 inches in diameter and has an dried ink in the bottom and a built in inkstone inside the lid.

Leather products were rare and expensive during the Qing Dynasty in China. Fans were in common usage and a quality fan would have required a proper protective case. A wealthy woman could have afforded this suede fan case and would have considered it as the acceptable accessory to properly detail her finery.

The case is 9+ inches long with silk cord for drawstrings, elaborately knotted and tasseled.

This elaborate beaded breastplate would have been worn for festivals by a wealthy Tibetan woman. The main section has 3 ornate silver and turquoise ornaments surrounded by a raised beaded coil which is bordered with cowrie shells. The neckline rolled and padded.

It is 13 inches across at the widest point and can be tied around the neck using the attached fabric ties. As is obvious in the pictures, there are a couple areas of lose on the turquoise ornaments.

This lovely small woman's purse was made from silk satin fabric and embroidered with silk thread useing the satin stitch. The purse still has the original silk ribbon attached to the bottom, and belt loop attached at the top.

This is an antique Chinese set of carved bone dominoes, complete with dice and original wooden box. Carved by hand sometime in the Qing dynasty, the 32 dominos vary abit in shape, size and thickness and the bone dice are a bit off cube.

The box is just under 5 inches x 2.5 inches x 1.5 inches.

This antique Chinese hand carved wooden bobbin still has a length of home spun thread which winds around the middle. The bobbin shows extensive use, with some areas of paint and finish heavily patinated and other areas just worn away.

This Korean brush would have been used for painting and/or large calligraphy. The handle is an old horn of rich brown tones and a soft matte patina from use. The bristles are long and soft and show some ink residue close to the ferrule. It is a wonderful brush to hold