Catalog (106)

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.

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.

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 small Japanese case was most likely used for eyeglasses by a wealthy woman. The fine cloisonne work on both sides has slightly differed medallion patterns. Bird one one side butterfly on the other...There is s small sing (with lose on the bird side towards the edge...and the ding goes through to the inside of the case...piece is priced considering the damage...

Hand made from quality leather and decorated with delicate thread embroidery at the toe tips and last border, the traditional pair of womans leather shoes would have been worn by a woman of some means...judging by their overall condition, these shoes have been worn a few times.

This hat was brought back by a nurse who was in Tibet as part of a medical relief team sometime in the 80's. Hat appears to have not been worn and is in excellant condition.

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.

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

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

These Chinese woman's Lotus shoes are from Shanxi province and are from the mid 1800's. In Chinese culture, to have, wear or use something from an ancestor (parent, grandparent,etc) was considered as a talisman and gave an element of protection to the user. This pair of lotus shoes was passed to a younger generation whose embroidery skills were, well, not as advanced as the original maker. But clearly the child left her mark on the shoes with the added embroidery of the birds etc.

This late Qing Dynasty hat is in excellent condition. Made with silk fabric with silk thread satin stitch embroidery on both front and back, it has long tassels on each side.

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. They are in good condition, showing minimal ...

This Chinese lady's purse was made with silk satin fabric and hand embroidered with silk thread using a satin embroidery stitch. The edges are bound with carefully aligned silk threads. Each side opens to a separate storage compartment and there is a third compartment which is accessed from the top of the purse.

Made and used during the late Qing Dynasty, the quality of the materials and workmanship clearly show that this purse was used by a woman of means. Unfortunately, this use has left...

This pair of antique Miao boots were made by a young woman from Song Tao to be worn for festivals. The thick sole has iron hob nails to make walking easier on the hills and terraces. The vamp is made from cotton fabric and is heavily embroidered with cottton thread using satin and chain stitch techniques. The upper part of the boot is also made of cotton fabric.

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.

Small embroidery with central floral motif using seed stitch, on traditional dark blue silk fabric. May have been used on garment as inside pocket. Approx 6.5 inches on each side.

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.

This rare antique Chinese Child's hat has it all From the Yi Chinese Ethnic Minority... Each surface is decorated with intricate hand embroidery and several silver ornaments