Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian: Southeast Asian: Lacquer (27)

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

Genuine antique Shan lacquer box circa late 19thCE. Most Burmese lacquer being offered on the internet purported to be antique are vintage at best and new at worst. I acquired this in Yunnan, China along the Burmese border but of Shan (nationality in China). Although there is some damage the craftsmanship is exquisite which is why I put a grain of sand in a couple of the images to put the work into perspective...

Rare complete lacquer tobacco box with trays from the Karen hilltribe ethnic group Northern Thailand. Next to nothing has written about this craft amongst the Karen people although they are known for their water tight baskets using lacquer to seal the weave. H: 9.5cm/3.8in and D: 8.6cm/3.3in.

Nice old red and black lacquered Cambodian Siri (betel) box container with foliate scroll pattern incised on the surface. Minor lacquer losses and restoration consistent with an antique piece. The art of Cambodian lacquer production has had a minor renaissance in recent years but this mainly done for the decorative art export market, items made for local village use this has pretty much died out after Khmer Rouge Era and advent of cheap Chinese plastic boxes...

Two rare Burmese/Shan small betel containers, 60 to 100 years old with “ku-nan kan byat” patterns and original inner trays. Genuine antique Burmese lacquer is almost impossible to find these days; I picked the larger one up in a small shop Luang Prabang, Laos in 1998. H: 8.7cm/3.4in and W: 10.2cm/4in, and the smaller one, H: 6.7cm/2.7in and D: 7.7cm/3in, in Chiang Mai this year. These have some old repairs, as well as a pleasing craclature typical of antique Burmese lacquer.

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.

Very rare late 19th century small lacquer box with a bird in concentric circles on both concave top and bottoms unusual simple geometric designs on the side. For a box of this age, it is in very good condition some loss to lacquer on the edges and bottom of lid. For the specialist collector of Burmese lacquer ware. D: 10.1cm/4in and H: 7.1cm/2.8in.

Early 19th century lacquer box from the Gadu-Gadan region with domed top and bottom (philone gaunglone). There are 16 separate panels decorated with mythical beasts, dancers and quirky symbols on the side and bird pattern on the top and bottom. Please note last photo for reference which is dated 1850 (possibly earlier) from Lacquerware Journeys—Than Htun. The piece I have is actually far more intricate...

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.

Very large Cambodian brown lacqered clothing box with beveled dome lid and rattan bindings. Nice old village construction circa 50 or 60 years old. Constructed from molded wood and in good condition except for minor loss to crenellated decoration around the base. D: 38cm/14.9in and H: 22cm/8.6in.

Nice old Cambodian “siri” box. This piece predates the Khmer Rouge regime and circa 60 or 70 years old. In good condition, this has an unusual 4 carved bamboo bands- most only have 1 or 2, so it is quite ornate There is no significant damage other expected signs of use and wear. In recent years Khmer lacquerware is making a comeback, however most of this is used for “home décor” export items, as far as I know no one is currently resurrected items for common household use...

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.

Very rare antique lacquer box from the Southern Shan States circa late 19th CE to early 20th CE. This a complete set (which is rare in itself these days). The pattern though simple is exquisitely detailed. Some craquelure on the surface, as is expected and few minor chips at the bottom of the lid. H 13.7cm/5.4in and D: 15.5cm/6.1in.

Charming and unusually small black and red lacquer vessel from Kenteng, Shan State, Burma. A very cute piece and genuinely old- circa 80 years. This piece is uncommon in that it has six feet instead of the usual four. The entire piece is covered in red lacquer with a black lacquer overcoat on the outside. There is surface craqueleur as to be expected from authentic old lacquer but no breakage in the body. D: 13.5cm/5.3in and H: 8.2cm/3.2in.

6187 250.00 Very rare old Cambodian woven bamboo lacquered scroll box with a partial mother of pearl inlay design, circa early 20th CE. This is an unusually large piece in good original condition, some surface loss to the lacquer but no breakage on the woven walls. The body is still pliable, the lid is a bit scuffed- to be expected from an old item. H: 42cm/16.5in and D: 13cm/5.1.

Nice old red and black lacquered Cambodian Siri (betel) box container. This has the original small feet on the bottom, very difficult to find these days. There is wear in the tray from use but otherwise The art of Cambodian lacquer production has had a minor renaissance in recent years but this mainly done for the decorative art export market, items made for local village use this has pretty much died out after Khmer Rouge Era and advent of cheap Chinese plastic boxes...

Very rare Khmer black lacquer “pillow box” with an abstract floral pattern. This is an old pre Khmer Rouge item, dating 50 to 60 years old, possibly more. The unique decoration makes this a one of a kind piece, the construction is typically Cambodian, in that it is constructed with thin small planks of wood and is coated with raw lacquer on the bottom, and this was sourced in the “Russian Market” about 15 years ago in Phnom Phenh...

Nice old antique black lacquered bamboo and wood box from Cambodia circa 1950 or earlier. This part of a collection I acquired almost 20 years ago. Khmer lacquer is quite rare, not many crafts survived the Khmer Rouge era, and is a lost art. Some wear and restoration as to be expected but no major damage. D: 5cm/7.8in and H: 10.5cm/4.1in.