Showing 181–191 of 191 results
This unique rare and fascinating vintage carved Naga tribe conch shell ear cover from India is decorated with a traditional abstract motif of curved buffalo horns with the buffalo’s head and neck inside the V-shaped horns. Mounted on a frosted acrylic base, it would make a dramatic presentation when displayed with Naga Shell Ear Coverings 1639A and 1639B.
Given its small size, this hsun ok may have simply served as a decorative piece. It has a beautiful profile that rising from a woven bamboo base topped by a stupa-like double bulbous finial. Its simple sophisticated design is comprised of rows of applied lacquer and ash lines, triangles and beaded borders that are hand applied Small but very elegant, this 20th century hsun ok is unique, with fine embellishments and a wonderful warm patina.
This traditional but unusual mask (topeng) of Rangda was a rare toy or was used to teach children Balinese lore and religious and artistic expression. It has wonderfully carved upper fangs, bulging eyes and protruding teeth and, as a personification of evil Rangda, who leads an evil army that instills anxiety and fear. This mask is in very good condition considering its age and use.
Timor masks like this are rare and characterized by large roughly cut eyes, the absence of some teeth and the remaining ones being menacing. They are stored in the rafters above the house hearth accounting for their smoky black color. Often decorated with animal hide with hair, the facial pieces have either not darkened fully in the rafters or, when placed on top of each other, did not darken evenly. Frequently a bit threatening due to the black color, missing teeth and their frequent lack of balance, these ancestral masks are used in offering rituals designed to drive off malevolent spirits.
This charming vintage figurine of a cow suckling its calf was mold-made in separate parts, hand-luted and painted, resulting in images made from the same mold unique and individualized. Pieces like this were created by provincial craftsman for use in home altars along with favored deities. Although having strong rural roots, terracottas have become an integral part of the life of Indians of all socio-economic levels and many of these images are displayed in most Indian households. As modern pieces are mass-produced, those produced in the first half of the 20th century are becoming viewed as collectibles.
This vintage terracotta Ganesh sits on an oversized mouse, his vehicle, holding sweets (laddo) representing earthly prosperity and well-being, a weapon to overcome fear and obstacles, and a conch shell symbolizing victory and fulfillment. The pointed aureole with raised orbs reflected is divine status and energy. Its rustic and earthy style with red, green and gold pigmentation is a fine example of Indian folk art.
This charming colorful terracotta image represents a crowned mustached raja – an Indian King, prince, noble or dignitary – with an elaborate high crown and sumptuous jewelry draped over his chest riding an elegant and well-muscled rearing horse with its front right leg in the air, a common theme in Indian art. The decorative garlands around the horse’s neck, green plants, and ground over which the horse and rider glide, long arching horse tail, the twist of the raja’s body so he faces forward, and other aspects of the piece add dramatic energy. Made from bivalve moulds that are hand luted and painted, no two images are identical.
This large rare vintage Timor ancestor mask has huge eyes, a horsehair beard, an inverted curved U-shaped mouth and two small half-circle ears and is an ancestral carving said to protect living relatives. In excellent condition considering its age, storage and use, its black patina results from its storage above the hearth and comes with a museum-quality metal stand. This mask is one of 3 of our masks featured in the original 2002 Spiderman movie pictured on the wall in the collection of Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin.
Woven from strands of raffia palm leaves, this vintage Kuba cloth reflects the traditional fabric traditions of the Kuba people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is a typically bordered square with rough textural surfaces interspersed with repeated geometric patterns and embellished with sophisticated embroidered, applique and patchwork linear designs of interlocking meandering patterns of vegetable dye shades of dark brown and ivory in a natural flat-weave pattern framed with tufted-cut pile raffia and applique.
Woven from strands of raffia palm leaves, this vintage Kuba cloth reflects the traditional fabric traditions of the Kuba people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is a typically bordered square with rough textural surfaces interspersed with repeated geometric patterns and embellished with sophisticated embroidered, applique and patchwork linear designs of interlocking meandering patterns of vegetable dye shades of dark brown and ivory in a natural flat-weave pattern framed with tufted-cut pile raffia and applique.
This vintage handmade crown-like cowry shell-covered cylindrical “crown” called an ile ori and is a mixed-media cult of the head shrine to honor the head among the Yoruba people of Nigeria. Never meant to be worn, it is round, divided into sections and has four upward pointed curving triangular panels leaning inward and set in a sea of arranged cowries. The flat-topped symbolic crown is made with a wide rectangular cutout for viewing. As it is handmade, the size, placement and tones of the cowries may vary, but the design is very impressive. This headdress was included in the San Francisco International Airport, “Crowning Achievements” exhibition in April-August, 1994. The headdress is in good shape with a dark patina showing age and use, some leather bindings lifting, minor insect damage to the fabric, scrapes on the leather and some missing cowry shells. It comes with a Lucite stand.
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