Catalog (100)

Beautiful old Zhuang minority textile from Guangxi Zhuang/Guizhou province, China. Woven in two panels with silk embroidered “diamond and star” patterned border, "wanzi" swastika key fret and well symbols. There are small repairs noted in last enlargement minor fading on the left edge- all consistent with an old piece, some orange and brighter purple silk thread seem to be a later embellishment, indicating that this piece has been handed down several generations and highlights th...

Unusual collection of 6 old “prayer cloths” from a Taoist Master’s ceremonial robe (see last enlargement). For generic purpose’s these should be considered to be from the Mien group as they came from Vietnam and are circa 50 to 60 years old- woven from handspun cotton. They all have the same basic pattern indicating they are probably from the same priest’s outfit. These used to be quite easy to get about 20 years ago but now almost impossible to find. Dimensions- the larges...

Nice old Yao (also known as Mien) Taoist shaman “yen” chop, used to send messages to the Gods. Reference “The Yao” by Jess Pourret pgs 206 & 207. These came from the Sino/Lao Fansipan Mountains border area and date circa 80 to 90 years old. 3.6cm/1.4in x 3.6cm/1.4in x 3.6cm/1.4in. Free shipping.

Fine and rare Yao (also known as Mien) Taoist shaman “yen” chop, used to send messages to the Gods. Reference “The Yao” by Jess Pourret pgs 206 & 207. This came from the Sino/Lao Fansipan Mountains border area and date circa 80 to 90 years old. 3.6cm/1.4in x 3.6cm/1.4in x 3.6cm/1.4in. Free shipping.

Rare “spirit calling” bell from the Yao Mien ethnic group of Guangxi, Vietnam, Laos. This would be used in Daoist ceremonies by Dao Guang priests and an example may be seen in Jess Pourret’s book: The Yao, plate 570, pg 207. The bell is attached to a bear’s tooth and has a "sweet" tone. This a genuinely old piece, circa late 19to early 20 the century. Please see last enlargement for scale. Free shipping.

Fine and rare old Yao/Mien all hand spun and woven cotton wedding veil with silk thread embroidered geometrical design, circa 50 years old. This piece is from Kim Mien group and was originally collected in Northern Laos. The colors on this piece are subtle and restrained (please note the use of shades of brown and blue in enlargements) and the brown and white tassels. Except for a couple of tiny holes this piece is in excellent condition. W: 47cm/18.5in and L: 75cm/29.5in.

Fine vintage, unused (as new) elegant hand loomed men’s longyi, classic checkered pattern (reverse image on the back). I bought this in Mae Sai around 1988, W: 1.74m and L: 1.09m. Has a few minor stains but otherwise condition excellent. Free shipping via Hong Registered Airmail.

Pair of old hand carved spoons from the Island of Timor. 1#Classic intricately carved heirloom buffalo horn spoon. Length: 23.5cm/9.2in. 2# Anthropomorphic spoon carved from a coconut shell. L: 15.4cm/6in and W: 6.2cm2.5in. Both are circa mid-20th century and in very good condition.

Semi antique Timor sarong made from all natural dyes and handspun cotton circa 1950/1960. Both top and bottom have “buna” weft embroidered panels. There is 7cm x 4cm piece missing on one edge, noted in enlargements. L: 110cm/43.2in and H: 103cm/40.5in.

Good semi antique, Timor ikat textile (circa 1960’s) with two crisp “rooster” (which symbolizes masculinity) indigo and white bands running the length of the cloth. Excellent condition- no damage. Natural dyes and hand spun cotton threads. L: 194cm/76 (not including threads at the end) and W: 103cm/40.5in.

Very finely detailed hand carved bone lime box from Timor, circa mid 20th century, with wooden stopper. L 10cm/4.1in. Included is anthropomorphic stopper from the Bataks near Lake Toba, Sumatra. They’re unrelated but somehow look like they belong together.

Three antique Timorese wooden statues commemorating a departed loved one. These were kept in the “attic” of a home and were not meant to be free standing. I bought this from an old Australian collection which was collected in the 1980s in West Timor, so these date circa 1950’s to 1960s. Carved from hard wood in good condition with minor checks in the wood, please examine enlargements for condition and scale.

Rare Zo/Tedem "tawnok"- reference "The Art of the Zo: Philadelphia Museum of Art". The Tedum aka Tiddim are a subgroup of the Chin, who live mostly in Northern Burma, Chin State, as well India, and Bangladesh. This piece is circa 1950-1960, spun from commercial, hand dyed cotton thread with some single faced supplementary and diamond twill patterns. Please see enlargements to appreciate the complexity of this weave. There are a few pin holes but noting egregious (one small repair w...

Super fine old wool pangden cloth- all hand spun wool and natural dyes. This piece is an exceptionally large piece consisting of 5 panels, circa 40 to 50 years old. I have had quite a few of these in the past and this is one of best I have seen.The weave is very tight and heavy and would make an excellent small blanket or throw rug. In the past these were worn by married women, but these days they are a fashion accoutrement for the modern Tibetan woman. This piece is in excellent conditi...

Wonderfully carved wooden Lanna Tiger, the hole in the mouth means this could be worn as amulet or placed on an altar. On the bottom is a lightly incised spiral glyph underneath the base indicate this was meant to be protect the owner. Bear in mind that amulets are very popular in Thailand and most are mass produced in either as terra cotta tablet or cast in metal- this is a one of a kind piece. H: 7.5cm/3in and W: 4.8cm/1.9in.

Good bamboo handled knife with hand forged blade from the Karen ethnic group Northern Thai/Burma border. Total length 31cm/12in with good sharp edge- small nick at the tip off the blade which could be honed out, about 60 years old.

Powerful Buddha image from the Tai Lue ethnic group from the Burma, Lao, Thai border region AKA “Golden Triangle”. Superficially these “folk images” lack the grace and serenity of the urban classical styles, but speak more from the heart of the people, as personal devotional merit making acts. This piece dates to around the 18th century; the “waisted” pedestal is typical of this period. Incorporated into the style is the much loved “bhumiparsha“ mudra, with stylized lotus lea...

Lovely vintage wearable woman’s dress from the Tai Dam ethnic group Vietnam. The “waist band” is all hand woven cotton cloth, while the black central panel is black raw silk, colorful silk embroidered wide bordered hem is particularly nice. Good condition, with a couple of fading streaks at the waist panel, as well as a repair in the last enlargement. Old piece- made in the 60’s or 70’s. W: 136cm/54in and L: 97cm/38in. Free shipping

Classic semi antique Laotian textile from the Tai Daeng ethnic group. This was acquired in 1991, just when Lao was opening itself for tourism and was about 30 years old at the time so this would date pre Vietnam War era. It is mounted onto a commercial Chinese chintz cloth border (looks original), made from all hand spun cotton and silk thread in the embroidery (except for the black pattern). There is one small repair noted in enlargements. L: 148/58.2in x W: 144cm/17.2in (without border...

Exceptional semi antique, over 70 years old, two paneled Tai Daeng (Red Tai) blanket from Northern Laos with supplementary weft silk Chinese Shou longevity character medallions and key fret design. The last time I was in Vientiane (13 years ago) textiles of this quality are no longer to be found. There are two repairs noted in enlargements 2 & 3 as well as some minor weft design loss. The Tai Daeng are generally acknowledged to be the best weavers in Laos and their contemporary piec...

Rare semi antique supplementary warp silk embroidery on handspun indigo cotton, blanket from the diverse Tai ethnic group Vietnam/Laos. I collected this in Chiang Mai around 12 years ago and would date it around 40 to 80 years old. Nowadays you just can’t find this sort of textile anymore. Some embroidery losses and a hole along the edge (noted in enlargements) but overall in very good condition. Dimensions: 84cm/33in x 145cm/57in.

Beautiful pre Viet Nam War woman’s sarong from the Stieng/Xtiêng ethnic group Vietnam. Semi antique/vintage over 50 years old, all hand spun and woven. The center red and black panel is quite striking. Some minor old repairs on the selvedge and the stitches holding the panels together have unraveled in a couple of places, but otherwise no tears, holes or stains. L 135cm/53in and W: 66cm/26in.

Colorful Stieng woman’s wrap around skirt from the Xtiêng (Stieng), estimated population of 7000, minority Binh Duong Province and Dong Nai Province of southeastern Vietnam. Hand woven with handspun cotton field and patterns of combination synthetic and cotton commercial yarns, this piece dates to circa 1970 to 1980 (i.e. post Vietnam War era). The Keith Harring (ish) anthropomorphic images are quite unusual. Provenance- Rob C. Clark Ethnobotanist PhD. Excellent condition, no dama...

Unusual Jackwood paan (betel) tray with well carved Kandy style floral medallion in the center, this motif also emulates carvings on pillars in some ancient temple. The WHO advised the Sri Lankan government against the chewing of betel and it is now illegal- that is not to say that this really stops people from still doing it though. This an antique piece with one crack. W: 29.5cm/11.5in x W: 29.5cm/11.5in x H: 6cm/2.2in

Group of three vintage household woven cane baskets acquired in Kandy, Sri Lanka in the 1990s. These were old at the time of acquisition so I would date them to around 50 years of age. Very sturdy and good condition. Dimensions: 1# 19in/48cm x 15/40cm, 2# 15in/38cm x 8in/20cm, 11in/28cm x 5.5in/14cm. Two have wood bases and tops while the the midsize one is covered in skin (I am guessing goat).

Two bone “knives” from the Golden Triangle. I acquired these in Chiang Mai Thailand about 20 years ago and was told that were used by a “hill tribe”, for ritual ceremonies that involved the symbolic letting of blood to heal the patient. Using bones in spiritual practices is a syncretic tradition in this region as the boundaries between Buddhism and the earlier Animist practices are blurred and seem to work in harmony with one another. These are old genuine old Shaman’s artif...

Special Offer: Reduced from $500 to $300. Rare and unusual 3 paneled piled blanket from the Rawang ethnic group in the Kachin State, Burma. The ground is woven from hemp, the reddish head ends are dog hair .There are a few areas that have a bright colored commercial yarn but other than that, all natural dyes. In the red field there are some bits of missing weft noted in enlargements. This piece is circa 1950 (plus or minus), definitely old an old piece. The Rawang are an upland living ...

Rare and quirky Rawang/Nung small storage basket from the Rawang enthnic group, Kachin State, Northern Burma. Rough plaiting but quite charming, the top of the lid has worn through- only the second of this style of plaiting, I have encountered over many years. H: 28cm/10.2in and W: (at base) 16.2cm/6.5in. Very old.

A collection of 10 kihks from Lanna, Thailand. All are hand carved from wood (except two which are carved from buffalo horn- noted in enlargements) and incised auspicious Khom script, from Lanna Thailand. Contrary to how I see these often advertised they, have little to do with attracting women, but are worn by on the side by men for luck and prosperity or used by women to ward odd “evil men” and attract money. It’s not uncommon that they be put in cash register. The symbolism ...

Phallic charm from Lamphun Northern Thailand- serendipitously enough, where they have an annual sausage festival. Originally these were worn by men at the waist and were thought to protect the wearer from any harm to his penis and in a more general sense they also are believed to bring luck especially in terms of “wealth generating or protection”, so a woman might be kept in your cash box to increase your cash flow or a woman might keep one in her purse to prevent it being “snatc...

Rare phallic charm from Lamphun Northern Thailand- serendipitously enough, where they have an annual sausage festival. Originally these were worn by men at the waist and were thought to protect the wearer from any harm to his penis and in a more general sense they also are believed to bring luck especially in terms of “wealth generating or protection”, so a woman might keep one in her cash box to increase your money flow or in her purse to prevent it being “snatched”. These have their or...

1# Vintage woman’s peasant dress from Isaan, Eastern Thailand. Good condition and very wearable. Made of all handspun cotton cloth with silk embroidered wide hem border. Width at waist: 151cm/59in and L: 86cm/33.8in. 2# Vintage woman’s peasant dress from Isaan, Eastern Thailand. One faded spot otherwise good condition and very wearable. Made of all handspun cotton cloth with silk embroidered wide hem border. Width at waist band: 128cm/50.5in and L: 84cm/33in.

Beautiful old classic Lao shoulder clothe, all natural dyes with hand spun silk threads. I picked this up on my first trip to Laos in the mid 1990s, at the Talat Sao Market, Vientiane and would date this to the 1970/80s. The fabric is incredibly soft and supple and may be worn (it is amazingly warm) as a scarf or hung as wall art. It has a few loose threads on the selvedge but otherwise in excellent condition with no holes or tears. W: 38cm/15in and L: 243cm/8ft. Free shipping via...

Cambodian semi antique Khmer basket circa pre 1950. Excellent condition, with natural lacquer and some painted design. Woven with split bamboo it is still quite serviceable, please view enlargements to appreciate the detail of this weave- you will not find any genuinely old baskets in Cambodia anymore (or anywhere else for that matter). Dimensions: 27cm/11.8in diameter and 15cm/6in height. There is some damage to the footrim noted in last enlargement.

Maginficent, antique basket from the Naxi/Nakhi ethnic group in Yunnan province. I purchased this in 2001 at local market in Lijiang (now a UNESCO heritage site). Constructed of bamboo with much of lacquer intact, this piece is circa 50 to 80 years old, most interesting is an auspicious coin symbol woven into the top. This kind of thing always reminds of the labor intensiveness that is put in to decorating such a humble object. I have traveled to Yunnan several times since and this is ...

Eclectic strand of spherical wood, cylindrical bone and wild boar's incisor tooth beads, from the Naga or possibly Chin ethnic group in Myanmar. Some of the bone beads have been dyed to resemble pumtek heirloom beads, maybe using wax resist method. These were collected in the 1980s and had some age at the time so I will date around 1960. Total L: 71cm/28in. Free shipping via Hong Kong Registered Airmail.

Very rare early 20th century textile from the Mulao ethnic group Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Province. Little is known about these textiles other than they show a close affinity with Maonan weavings and are no longer being woven by this people. This is a two paneled blanket with original border and supplementary weft silk and cotton embroidered pattern of birds, mythical animals and flowers on a cotton field “key fret” pattern. Good condition given its age- there are some patches on th...

Mid 20th century textile from the Mulao ethnic group Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Province. This is a two paneled blanket with original border and supplementary weft silk embroidered pattern phoenix and flowers on a cotton field “key fret” pattern- all handspun threads. Good condition - no holes or missing embroidery threads. L: 110cm/43in and W: 66cm/cm/26in- with blue cotton border L: 153cm/59in and W: 110cm/43on.

Old song bird catcher from the Minang people of Central Sumatra. I bought this in Padang in 1988 and it was already old at the time, so I can date this to about 1950. A classic honey trap, right out of the KGB spy book. A hot and seductive female bird is placed in the back of the cage and when a dumb male bird comes along and lands on the perch in front this will trip a peg that will cause the net in the front to come down and now he is caught. See last two enlargements. L: 27cm/10.6i...

Beautiful Miao woman’s apron with black calendered cotton cloth, and green commercial border, and fine silk embroidered center panel with hand woven silk embellished apron ties, from Guizhou. The colors in center panel are particularly luscious and I would date this piece 40 to 60 years of age. W: 40cm/15.8in and L: 43cm/17in. Free shipping Hong Kong Registered Airmail

Very rare, Gulong Miao children’s jacket from Guizhou. This is a side opening style, made from all hand woven cloth (except for the inner sleeve lining) with hand embroidered anthropomorphic figures, on a calendared greenish cotton ground. This pattern was only used on children’s clothing from this Miao subgroup. Excellent condition. Width: 75cm/29.5in (sleeve tip to sleeve tip) Length: 39cm/15.3in (collar to bottom). Free shipping.

Good early 20 the century Miao wedding blanket from Antai area, Guangxi Zhuang, China. The base is made from all handspun cotton with silk and cotton warp embroidered geometrical floral pattern and swastika meander at lower border, the entire piece is framed in a handspun indigo border (possibly original). There is one hole on the cotton border and minor fading in the center, seems to show up more in the photo than it does in real life. 72cm/28.5in x 77cm/30 in, with border 110cm/43in x 1...

Quirky pair of fishing bobs from the Mentawai Islanders off the coast of West Sumatera. These are probably multifunctional as I have seen them described variously as turtle net buoys, fishing bobs as well as net weavers. The larger one has a fishing hook fashioned from a nail as well as old stone bead. L: 49.5/19.5in and 53cm/20.8in.

Good first half of the 20th century hardwood hand carved image of a pig. I acquired this from Mossgreen's Auctions, Australia about 20 years ago, they attributed it to being 100 years old. L: 20.2cm/8in and H: 8.3cm/3.2in. There is a "check in the wood, that may be noted in last enlargement

Good, first half of the 20th century hardwood hand carved bowl carved in the shape of a turtle. I acquired this from Mossgreen's Auctions, Australia about 20 years ago, they attributed it to being 100 years old. Please note the two legs in the back are damaged and is noted in last enlargement. L: 42cm/16.5in and W: 16cm/6.2in.

Fine and rare two paneled silk embroidered “wedding blanket” from the small Maonan minority people of northern Guangxi Zhuang Province. This piece is 60 to 90 years old with a hand spun cotton foundation and hand spun silk. The frontal surface of the blanket is decorated with embroidered floral and phoenix symbols and key fret pattern highlighted by “floating weft” threads. The Maonan number just a little over 100,000 souls and are closely related to the Zhuang who are probab...

Well made old storage basket, circa 1950s, acquired in Lombok, Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia in the 1980s this has been in storage since then. This has a slight trapezoidal shape to the lid and body. Excellent condition- no damage. Top- W: 24cm/9.5in x 21.5cm/8.4in and H: 9.5cm/3.8in.

Fine and rare four paneled skirt, from the Meifu subgroup of the Li people, Hainan Island, circa mid 20th century. These kinds of textiles are unique among Chinese minority weavings as they combine supplementary weft brocade and tie dye ikat techniques. The colored threads in the brocaded panel are polyester and commercial white thread while the rest of the skirt is hand spun cotton and indigo. There is some minor even fraying at the bottom and a few negligible small holes. W: 124cm/49in and H: ...

Fine and rare four paneled skirt, from the Meifu subgroup of the Li people Hainan Island, circa mid 20th century. These kinds of textiles are unique among Chinese minority weavings as they combine supplementary weft brocade and tie dye ikat techniques. The colored threads in the brocaded panel are a combination of silk, cotton, and polyester while the rest of the skirt is hand spun cotton and indigo in an abstract and zoomorphic design. There is one negligible small hole. W: 111cm/ 43in and ...

Fine and rare five paneled skirt, from the Meifu subgroup of the Li people Hainan Island, circa mid 20th century. These kinds of textiles are unique among Chinese minority weavings as they combine supplementary weft brocade and tie dye ikat techniques. The colored threads in the brocaded panel are a combination of cotton, and polyester while the rest of the skirt is hand spun cotton and indigo in an abstract and zoomorphic design- pulled apart at the seam on top, no rips or holes. W: 132cm/5...

Superb antique lacquered bamboo woven box from the Lisu ethnic minority, Northern Thailand. This piece is in good condition with minute losses to lacquer but perfect woven body. Please view enlargements to appreciate the fine detail on this, also note that this double walled. L: 11.cm/4.2in, H: 5.5cm/2.3in and W: 6.5cm/2.5in.

Good silk textile with tiger embroidery- all the threads are silk except the black. This was acquired in 1991 and has been sitting in a box ever since then. W: 69cm/27in x L: 149cm/58.5in

Beautiful hand-woven hem from a woman’s skirt from the Tai Moei ethnic group of Sam Neua Province, Laos. This piece is only about 30 years old but the colors in the silk threaded center field are absolutely gorgeous. This piece is still sewn together and in excellent condition. H: 43.cm/17in and W: 59cm/23in (x2). Free shipping.

Large textile from Laos with a “void” silhouette deer pattern . The colored threads are silk, while the field and border are all handspun cotton, the border may be some sort of bast fiber as it is quite coarse. This piece is approximately 30 to 40 year old- I picked up it up in 2000, Vientiane, Laos. The border and backing has some staining but the embroidered panel is clean. L: 128cm/50.5in x W: 57cm/22.5in (without border) and L: 177cm/69.5in and W: 90cm/30.in (with border)...

Fine old rattan/bamboo splitting knife used in basket making. This has a great natural patina on the handle with decorated “butt”, circa first half 20th century. The blade still carries a sharp edge and is still quite serviceable. L: 44cm/17.2in (blade is 11cm/4.2cm). Excellent condition.

Old rattan/bamboo splitting knife used in basket making. The blade still carries a sharp edge and is still quite serviceable. L: 65cm/25.5 (blade is 18.5cm/7.5in). Good condition, the blade has some surface rust but is till sound and solid.

Nice old Lahu bamboo woven basket (there is some rattan used in the bindings), from the Golden Triangle region in Northern Thailand. This is a genuine ethnic/tribal piece and not made for the tourist trade. There is a carrying strap that comes with this but it is not woven into the basket itself. The basket is in excellent condition while the strap has some brittleness where it folds. H: 22cm/8.5in and D: 23cm/9in.

Fine old Cambodian lacquered woven bamboo betel box. No damage or restoration other than natural wear, as to be expected. Any lacquer coming from Southeast Asia with no signs of use is a strong indicator that its new. Circa 60 to 90 years old. D: 21.5cm/8.5in and H: 9cm/3.5in

Woman’s breast cloth from the Chin or Rakhine States, Myanmar- from the Khumi, Khami or Mro- Chin subgroup. Good condition- there is one tiny pin hole and a couple of stains. Circa 1950. L: 70cm/27.5in and W: 34cm/13.2in.

Ikat sarong from the upland Karen (Pwo or Sgaw) ethnic group in Northern Thailand. This is woven from all handspun cotton thread and natural dyes. Acquired in the 1980s, it has never been used and as such may be described as being in pristine original condtion. The cloth coming these people nowadays, are nowhere near this quality. W: 87cm/34in and L: 152cm/61in.