Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art (361)

Fine three paneled wedding blanket from the Zhuang ethnic group, Southern China. W: 90cm/35.5in and L: 148cm/58in (with border W: 134cm/52in and L: 190cm/74in. Woven from all hand spun cotton and silk embroidery threads. Classic diamond and star pattern with “wanzi” swastika meander patterns on the border, also incorporated into this pattern are a few “Wang” characters (Chinese for king), which may be seen in the lower left side of the cover image...

Superb 3 paneled weaving from the Zhuang ethnic group in Guangxi Zhuang, Southern China. The body is woven from very fine handmade cotton thread while the weft supplementary embroidery is done with silk floss threads (the small blue indigo medallions are done with cotton). Quite a heavy piece because of all the embroidery. L: 161cm/63in and W: 100cm/39in.circa first half of the 20th century.

Fine old, three paneled, supplementary weft embroidered wedding blanket from the Zhuang ethnic group Guizhou Province China. Handspun and handwoven cotton thread foundation and silk for the embroidery. The central area is dominated by the “well” “#” pattern, while the border is a combination of the “well” pattern inside a “wanzi” swastika meander. There are few small faded areas but no holes or tears. W: 104cm/40in and L: 140cm/56in.

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...

Very rare small celadon Yueyao lugged jar from a Zhejiang Kiln, circa Five Dynasties/Early Northern Song. This type of ceramic was a precursor to Longquan ware. There is a firing crack and some fritting (caused by pockets of air trapped beneath the glaze during firing) on one side- noted in enlargements. D: 9cm/3.5in and H: 6cm/24in.

Old Chinese stone ware bottle. This shape is fairly generic and could date anywhere from Jin Dynasty to Ming, so I am taking the middle road and attributing it as Yuan. The mouth is chipped but it has a nice shape, note my photo editing software tend to truncate images, so this piece is more elegant in real life than the photos indicate. The glaze has traces of a paraffin patina. H: 24cm/9.5in and D: 18cm/7in.

Rare early 20th century Yi minority lacquered box constructed from leather. I purchased this piece in a Bai minority, weekly market in Yunnan near Dali around 2002. I assume this is now an extinct craft no longer being done because of the availability of cheap plastic items as well as the migration of artisans to better paying jobs in the city. Very minor lacquer losses on the edge. Excellent condition. H: 5cm/2in

Fine old Yao embroidery with Chinese characters, from the Kin Mun Lantien subgroup Yunnan/Vietnam. This piece is in excellent condition with no damage, but the indigo has “bled” and is circa early 20th century. It is made from all handspun cotton with an intense indigo dye. These are documented in the Jess Pourret book “The Yao”. Embroidered patch W: 14cm/5.5in and L: 20cm/7.9- with fringe 139cm/54in. Free shipping.

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...

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.

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.

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.

13 pieces of vintage jadeite- most have flaws, so examine the enlargements carefully. Please note the large oval plaque (probably originally meant for a belt buckle) and largest perforated disc (bi) are unpolished. Scale is in last enlargement, 109 grams in total. Ideal for a jewelry designer or clever bunny.

Simple Han inkstone, polished smooth one side and rough underneath. Signs of exavation and typical distinct petrichor smell. L: 20cm/7.9in x 6.3cm/2.5in. Note last image is from Chinese Inkstones- Simon Kwan, for reference.

Two lidded jars with Qingbai and Jizhou glazes and terra cotta playing pieces. Not Song Dynasty but all hand made. The brown jar Jizhou jar has some discoloration. This white “stones” are 180 and there are 176 of the darker ones. D: 12cm/4.8in and H: 8cm/3.1in.

Delightful Qing Dynasty café au lait glazed water dropper in the shape of a fish in a basket, it is quite heavy for its size and the brown glaze has a strong metallic patina possibly emulating bronze. Most likely from a Southern Kiln, in perfect condition! D: 5.7cm/2.2in and H: 7.2cm/2.8in.

Very rare Warring States jar with ribbed pattern. I’ve seen these in publications, but this is the first one I have seen in person. There is one chip on the mouthrim, as can be seen in enlargements, but otherwise in excellent condition. Very sharply carved with decorated lugs. H: 13cm/5.1in and D: 16cm/6.2in.

Very rare large “Swatow” bowl from the Zhangzhou kiln, Fujian Province, China. This is a Binh Tuan shipwreck recovery piece, discovered off the coast of Vietnam in 2001...

Classic heavy silk or cotton and silk blend fabric black cheongsam or qipao top with blue silk lining, circa mid 20the century. Perfect condition, and clean. Tailor made and all hand sewn. Dimensions in enlargements.

Classic long sleeved silk brocade cheongsam aka qipao. This is all hand tailored and hand sewn, definitely not off the rack. Beautiful floral pattern (lotus, chrysanthemum, and pomegranate blossoms) with foliate scrolls, this pattern can be traced back to Ming Dynasty blue and white porcelain. The zipper has come off the track other than that perfect condition. See enlargements for dimensions. Clean but could use a steam press. More dimensions can be provided for a serious buyer.

antique china jade 48 carved Burmese Jade pendants. Total weight 407 grams, please examine enlargements for scale and quality- shipping included.

A pair of old Burmese jade cigarette holders, they stopped making these about 40 years ago, since they have went out of fashion. The white jade has holder (L: 12.2cm/4.9in) has a few scratches and the darker one (L: 6.2cm/2.4in) has naturally occurring inclusions.

Quirky shallow bowls enclosed in pewter. The original blank dishes were imported from Japan and then decorated in Hong Kong. By the 1980s this trade died out due to rising property costs as well as the transitioning of the Hong Kong manufacturing sector to China. This pair is in excellent condition and perfectly matched with floral panels and medallions. These are also the only examples I have seen jacketed in pewter. D: 17cm/6.9in and H: 4cm/1.6in. Dated to 1970’s.

Very fine red lacquered saber (dao) scabbard fitting from the Nùng people Vietnam. They are well known for their sword making so it makes sense they would put the same effort into their accoutrements. This is an old semi antique piece circa 1950 excellent condition and intricate carving. L: 14cm/5.5in W: 5.9cm/2.3in and Thickness 2.4cm/1in.

Good bronze bell from the Vietnamese Bronze Age, late Dongson Culture- Dong Khoi phase, circa 600 BCE-200CE. No breakage or repair comes with simple perspex stand. H: 9.6mm/3.8in and base W: 7.3cm/2.8in. Free shipping

Exceptionally rare baby blanket from the Tujia weavers of Longshan County, Hunan Province, China. I have been looking for one of these for years and this is the first complete blanket I have ever found, albeit the lower two border panels come from a different piece. This incorporates the unique white tiger motif (see enlargement #3) which is believed to give the baby protection. For the Tujia the white Tiger is a totemic ancestor deity...

Quirky image of Ganesh accompanied by four rats as devotees and musicians. This is from the last half of the 20th century- possibly a tribal image. For the most part most of the iconography and i.e., accoutrements, mudras and association of rats accompanying him are correct. I acquired this from an estate of long term Hong Kong resident, other than that I don’t have any other information other than this a very cool...

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.

Very fine, signed, men’s blanket from the Biboki, Feotle'u area West Timor, Indonesia. The the name of the weaver’s family, were woven into this. W: 114cm/44.8in and L: 186cm/73in, except for the yellow and blue lines this is woven from all naturally dyed handspun thread. Dating circa 1950 to 1960.

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...

Nice old Tibetan or Baotou saddle carpet, with floral medallions and scroll pattern. There are some repairs and restorations which I have highlighted in enlargement two. Early 20th century, the colors are still vibrant with some abrash but none of the garish aniline dyes used later in the 50s and 60s. L: 120cm/47.2in ad W: 60cm/23.6in.

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...

54 old coconut disc shaped beads, mala. I acquired these beads in 1991 in the Barkhor Market in front of the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa. These have been restrung on elastic chord so it may be worn around the wrist. These are old hand made beads with beautiful natural patina. Each bead is Diameter: 14mm the entire strand is L: 225cm/8.8cm. free shipping.

Tibetan yak butter tea “po cha” or barley beer “chang” bowl carved from burlwood, possibly Rhododendron circa 50 to 100 years old. D:11.8cm/4.6in and H: 5cm/1.9in, there is one worn chip on the edge. A charming old piece- difficult to find these days. This was not turned on a lathe, but entirely carved by hand.

Ensemble of 3 old Chinese furniture maker’s planes. See text in last three enlargements for details,

Rare black Lanna lacquer box circa 70 to 90 years old in excellent condition given its age, no repairs or big chunk missing, from Chiang Mai. Genuine old examples of Thai lacquer are quite rare these days as most have been bought up by Thai collectors. H: 8.7cm/3.4in and D: 11cm/4.2in.

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.

Nice circa 18t/19th century high fired terra cotta Akshobhya Buddha in bhumiparsa mudra and holding a vajra in his lap with traces of original blue, white and gold pigments. This piece appears to have been excavated and the head has been reattached. H: 11cm/4.2in and W: 7.5cm/3in.

Jian ware black glazed bowl with fine russet hare’s fur streaks. Southern Song dynasty. No chips or cracks but there are areas where the glaze from another piece had fallen onto it during firing- the "wabi sabi" is strong in this one, suitable for a Japanese Tea Ceremony. D: 12.3cm/4.9in and H: 6.2cm/2.4in.

Beautiful image of Tang Dyansty noble woman or lady-in-waiting. Good condition no damage or repair. She is standing in relaxed natural pose, with a sweet face and complicated to coiled double chignon. H: 27cm/10.6in.

Good Tang Dynasty gray clay brick/tile depicting “Atlas” type, Yakshi figure seated on a lotus blossom. I was in Taxila, (cradle of Gandharan Civilization) and saw a similar figure. This illustrates the Greco/Roman influence in Tang art. The lotus shows indicates an obvious Buddhist connection. The left side of the face is molded a bit obscure, but no damage. An unusual piece, in that it is smaller than the other ones I have had- ergo cheaper shipping...

Tang Dynasty, high fired, white clay, statue of a court advisor. H: 25cm/9.8in. Good condition. FREE SHIPPING!

Tang/Five Dynasties, stoneware jar with light olive green glaze and reddish clay body. The foot is rimless and concave. There is a “Jun” type glaze run on the body noted in enlargements- probably unintentional but interesting nonetheless. I have done simple repair on the mouth by filling a shallow chip and applying a layer of gold leaf. H: 12cm/4.8in and D: 9cm/3.5in.

Old nephrite chord fastener, this shape and style are usually associated with horse tack and bridles. This archaic style has been found in the Tang and Liao periods. L: 2.7cm/1.1in, W: 2.1cm/o.8in and 1cm/0.4in thick. 12 grams.

Very rare Tang Dynasty (618CE to 907CE) terra cotta wall tile depicting the face of a Zhemushou, a fierce guardian earth spirit meant to ward off evil. It is a trapezoidal shape with much of original red and black pigments intact. Some loss to the lower lip (please see enlargements). Lower W: 19cm/7.8in, upper W: 16cm/6.1in and H: 20cm/9in.

Very rare pottery bowl and eclectic with Taoist imagery. This is made from a high fired light gray pottery, with traces of a white slip and depictions of musicians, dancers and “demon” masks. This is a funerary piece; the symbology suggests the transition from this world to the afterlife. D: 14cm/5.5in and H: 5.2cm/2in. No cracks original pigments with some kiln warpage

Good dark soy brown glazed ovoid jar Tang Dynasty from a northern kiln, nice size- H: 12.5cm/5in and D: 16.5cm6.5in. Some kiln flaws i.e., bubble pops and minor chip on side- please examine enlargements.

Collection of four vintage/antique cloth printing blocks from Tamil Nadu, all in excellent condition, acquired in India 30 years ago. Large one: H: 26.3/10.4in x W: 16.4 cm/6.4in, elephant: H 12.2/4.8in x W: 14.7 cm/5.8in, round one D: 20.6 cm/10.2in and, small one H: 17.5/6.9in x W 8.3cm/3.2in.

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...

Classic semi antique Laotian textile from the Tai Daeng ethnic group...

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...

This is a 20th century hand painted on silk and traditionally scroll mounted homage the artist, Miao Jiahui a female painter who was the official personal artist to the Qing Dynasty Empress Dowager Cixi, Depicting chrysanthemums in vases and flower pots, there is a poem in the upper left hand corner translates roughly as “The late king likes to sleep in the garden of the chrysanthemums/ The tall vase is shaped by its surroundings/ Common eyes fear not because the autumn wind and sickness/...

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.

Ensemble of vintage silver and ancient banded agate beads from Sri Lanka. These were acquired in Kandy in 1998 or 1989, the banded agates are all hand carved and are at least 1000 years old (conservatively). The silver beads are high content silver and intricately crafted with a 24K Asian style fastener. L: 52cm/20.5in. Combined eight 34 grams. See last enragement for scale. Free shipping.

Good Tamil, carved wood temple panel of the Hindu God Shiva manifested as Virabhadra, he is brandishing a sword and holds a shield. This was acquired in the late 1990s from a well-known Sri Lanka dealer and collector, from Kandy. This is a heavy (1.7kg), possibly Jack Fruit woodcarving. Very good condition, carved from a single piece of wood, the front of this piece has been lacquered but the back is untreated and has some bug damage and decomposition, but having said this it is stable...

Quirky jack wood kitchen vegetable cutting board. I acquired this in Sri Lanka but it could also be Tamil. Beautiful patina naturally smooth surface. . L: 46.5cm/17.9in and W: 29.5cm/11.6in, and H: 4.5cm/1.8in.