Catalog (110)

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.

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 belt would have been worn for festival gatherings. Decorated with beads, cowrie shells and central turquoise medallion the belt strap is narrow approx 1.25 inched wide. Hanging from the belt are beaded strands in graduated lengths with each strand ending with a cowrie shell. There is a cord tie attached so that the belt can be tied at the back of the wearer. It is a lovely piece

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

This blouse is from Thailand and made for use by a Karen Hilltribe woman. First the fabric was hand woven from cotton fibers. Next the surface was lower half was elaborately decorated with cotton thread embroidery and tiny sea urchin shells using a geometric pattern. Then it was whip stitched into the form of a blouse using white cotton thread. This garment makes a wonderful display piece and can also be worn for special occassions. 23 inches across and 27 inches long.

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...

This rare ceremonial Chinese "lock" necklace is Hmong ethnic minority. Made from pure bouillon silver, it over weighs 4.5 lbs. The Hmong Ethnic Minority group range from southern China into Northern Thailand. This piece was sourced out of China to a dealer sometime between 1920-1930. In both Chinese and ethnic minority cultures, the lock necklace acts as a talisman and symbolically "protects" the wearer from ill fortune, much as a lock on a piece of furniture will protect the contents inside...

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

This is a traditional old style Chinese doodoo which is worn buttoned to the front of a womans shirt. It is made of black cotton fabric and embroidered with silk thread using a satin stitch. The motif is typical Miao...birds and flowers. It is in good condition appears slightly faded. This piece measures approx 11" X 11" and would look very nice framed. Age approx 65 yrs old

Meticulously embroidered panel for baby carrier that never got finished.. and was packed away to be finished later...probably by a loving grandmother, and then backed and border probably her daughter for sale. Miao people in the region of Zhi Jin including border ...measures 20 x 23.5 inches the last 2 pics are of the back side of the embroidery

This hand woven traditional childs top was worn by the children of China's Yi ethnic minority group living in Ma Li Po. It is in excellent condition with wonderfully detail batik work

This adult female puppet is clothed in traditional Thai costume with a open shirt. All parts are hand-carved, tied and strung together, which gives the puppeteer lots of choices of movement. The face has eyes which can open and close independent of each other and the mouth can also be opened and closed. Head to toe, she measures is 21 inches tall and with the strings the total lenght is 34 inches. She is absolutely charming, and can hang quietly on a wall as an symbol of Thailand ethnographi...

This knife sheath would be hung from the woven shoulder strap by the hill tribe hunter. This one was brought back from the border region by a friend. Now heavily patinated with use and age, it was beautifully hand made many years ago and was both light weight and serviceable. It is a wonderful artifact of an age and culture that is rapidly disappearing.

This is a charming baby carrier from Guang Xi which is similiar in shape to those carriers from Rao Jia region. It is made of hand-loomed cotton fabric which is hand stitched and hand embroidered with butterflies and flowers using both cotton and silk thread. The sculptural shape makes a very pleasing wall hanging. The condition of this carrier is very good.

This Shui childs hat is very heavily and intricately embroidered using wrapped cotton thread. The base background blue and black fabric has a subtle pattern which takes extra care and attention while weaving on the loom. a series of silver ornamental "bubbles" further decorates the front lower border of the hat. Over 60 years old and in very good condition it will make a wonderful addition to any collection

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...

This Miao silver drinking horn would have used for special occasions i.e. prospective in-laws visiting etc. The horn is small 6.5 inches from tip to far rim. The reposse design of dragon and fish is mirrored on each side of the horn.

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

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

This Chinese Jacket from Yunnan Province, was part of the traditional Yao Ethnic Minory costume. Approx 50 years old this textile is handwoven from indigenous plant fiber. The fibers are supposed to "last forever" so jacket will "never show used"...The thread used for hand embroidery (mostly using cross stitch technique) appears to be cotton. Jacket would be worn open, the silver buttons are intended for decoration only. I also have the matching pants for the jacket, which also "live forever"...

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. see drawing on page 55 According to the book "Clothing and Ornaments of China's Miao...

This tradition style childs collar of the Dong minority was handmade by the mother or grandmother. The fabric was cut from fragments of handwoven cloth stitched together. The embroidery is an intricate cross stitch pattern...It was used (probably for several generals of children) and is a bit dirty...no rips no tears.

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 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 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 blanket shaped Miao ethnic minority baby carrier is from Jian He and is a good example of the whorl pattern which was so significant to the Chinese Minority. Made from hand-loomed plant fibers (maybe cotton, maybe bast fibers) the surface is heavily decorated with appliques edged with chain stitching. This carrier is in good condition showing a minimum of wear and dirt and it 80+ years old

The Hmong women of Thailand would decorate their jackets with small rectangles of ornately embroidered collars. This collection of 6 such collars represents the tiny intricate stitches and range of techniques which use to be used. Collars such as these are rarely available on the market mow.

Collars range from 5.5 to 6 inches across and 3inches to 3.5 inches long.

This Chinese pinafore style garment would have been worn by a small girl child of the Dong ethnic minority in Shui Kou. Fabric is handwoven from cotton fiber, hand stitched with intricate decorative applique work and hand woven snowflake pattern ribbon accents the border. No rips, no tears, and no holes...but this piece is old and has been worn and is a bit "dirty".... and still has its original ties. It is 14 inches wide and 21 inches long...great ethnographic textile for framing.

This is presumed to be central panel taken from 100 bird coat from the Bai Ling area. It has been bordered and backed by new fabric. The central panel is very tightly split-thread satin-stitched embroidery over a silk felted (non-woven) fabric. This piece is in pristine condition, and measures approximately 30" by 30"

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.

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 pair of low grade silver Chinese Bracelets are Miao Ethnic Minority. Low grade silver was used extensively throughout China during the 19th and early 20th century. To a Westerner the backs look like the bracelets are adjustable, this is a decorative element only and they are not adjustable. The fronts are deeply etched with animals. At the widest point in the front the bracelets measure 1.25 inches. They are oval in shape and very comfortable to wear...I prefer to sale them as a pair but ...

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 is a large antique hand-made pair of earrings of low grade silver, lots of filigree work...Though obviously not wearable for most Westerners, the make a wonderful ethnographic, tribal arts display.

This Chinese ethnic minority hair comb was hand carved with scalloped edge detail on both sides. Many ethnic minority women would save the hair from ancestors and add it to their own hair for additional bulk...some groups would add bits of wool also to make the hair appear thicker. Combs were used both for combing and for hair ornaments. Carved from walnut wood and 9 inches long at the bottom