Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art (482)

This traditional antique basket purse was made and used by the men of the tiny island of Balika,Indonesia. The patina shows both the age and the wear pattern. This is one of a pair of "old purses" which were brought back to the US by an Anthropology intern who spent a summer studying and documenting the lives of the islanders in 1980. The condition is very good and the piece measures 16" high by 12" wide and 4"

Large Chinese embroidery panel with all over pattern of multiple assorted butterflies...wedgewood blue silk crape fabric surrounded with embroidered border...entire piece is lined with red cotton fabric... measure roughly 27 x 80 inches

Possibly made from an old kimono, this sweet drawstring purse charming painted and appliqued scenes of trees, rocks and flowers going around the body of the purse. The bottom shows a country gentleman sitting on a rock under a tree enjoying the mountain view. overall condition is very good, however the fabric sleeve for the drawstring is deteriorated. Purse measures 7" across bottom

This Indo-Persian antique silver repousse lidded container box was probably intended for cosmetics. The elaborate design work is flawless and the attention to detail were hallmarks of luxury items made during the late 19th century in both India and Persia. There are 2 makers marks and some scratches on the bottom of the box. See picture

The box is 3.5 inches in diameter and is 1.5 inches high

This antique iron candle holder was sourced from Shanxi province China. From a peasants home, it could be set on a table or hung on a wall. It is an interesting ethnographic folk art relic.

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.

The saddle seat is Leather and decorated with small tuffs of wool yarn and strips of flat metal (presumed low grade silver) which are embed into the leather in an ornate geometric design.

I replaced the tie which secured the front of the seat to the metal saddle tree...the original cord was literally falling apart...Limited research indicates this saddle was from Rajastan India.

For festivals including her wedding, a Yao girl of marriageable age would wear the traditional "celestial crown" clipped to her hair on the top of her head. This traditional ornament was common among the Yao of Laos, Thailand and China's Yunnan Province. Upon reaching puberty, the Yao girl would be expected to make her own crown following traditional patterns and methods of her local region...

These Chinese long wooden bobbins were used for winding thread for routine sewing chores. As a household tool, used by generations of women within the family, they were hand carved and painted with the continious use in mind. Inside each bobbin there is a small bead which freely moves back and forth and acts as a noise maker when the bobbin is in motion...or falling to the floor.

Bamboo Vests were used as undershirts under silk garments. They served the duel purpose of allowing some air circulation and protected the silk garments from body oils. These vest were fragile and they have become very rare and hard to find. They were made with small pieces of bamboo which are literally strung together to form a garment. This bamboo vest is a particularly nice one...

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...

This lovely hand carved old wooden loom pulley comes with is own custom made stand.

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

Manchu women never practiced foot-binding. However, during the Qing dynasty, they did wear pedestal aka platform shoes, hoping to give the appearance of smaller feet. These shoes would give the woman a more careful walk which was perceived as dainty and more sensual. In addition, the tips of the shoes would appear to peak out from under the robes, giving the foot more dainty appearance. These shoes are embroidered on both sides with a floral motif...

This well used pair of Chinese woman's Lotus shoes for bound feet has embroidered satin stitch floral motif on both sides of the toe. The soles have nice stitch detail

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.

This small hand painted picture on cloth, called a Tsakli was used for Buddhist religious instruction and rituals in Tibet. The back of the card has Tibetan writing...Obvious condition issues...This card and others listed on this site were all antique cards when they were brought out of Tibet in the 60's...roughly 3.75 x 3.5 inches

Suspended from a small leather belt loop, this old Mongolian pipe pouch has trekked a long way. This ethnographic relic was clearly hand-made, with a simple closure of leather thongs tied into a traditional knot, and a few beads add a decorative element. For pipe cleaning, there is added piece of twisted metal wire decorated with green thread. Approx 12" long and about 3" at the widest point. It is a relic from a nomadic ethnic culture and its condition.....