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Each African region fabricated its own variety of manillas that were typically horseshoe or C-shaped. This large beautiful antique manilla has a rounded smooth surface with fine etched linear design, circles, swirls, stipples, and V-shapes. In excellent condition with a fine aged patina it comes with a wood and metal stand.
The Fulani people favored many kinds of body ornaments, among the most traditional being bracelets and anklets in a horseshoe shape with flared decorative ends. This finely-crafted, heavy and massive antique U-shaped example was elaborately designed with intertwined twisted strands and 11 faceted ends incised with circle and diamond designs.
This antique thick, rounded and smooth surfaced Fulani manilla is etched with intricate decorative and geometric designs at the ends and at its apex. It is in very good condition with minor scratches, cracks and bruising on the inside consistent with its extensive age and use. It comes with a wood and metal stand.
Click here for Blog Manillas: Former African Trade Currency.
This stunning antique garden stool has parallel ridges surrounding its body and is a fine and rare piece. Hand thrown with a thick high-fired stable body, it has six framed panels with historic and symbolic images against a white background focusing on the finely made and intricate designs surrounded by rich cobalt blue. Most garden stools were made in a drum or barrel shape, far fewer were hexagonal and fewer still had auspicious objects and poems framed within the panels. This fine piece was created for the garden of a rich family, as cobalt was highly prized and expensive used in sparing amounts unless bound for an an important client. This unique piece has not only outstanding rendered panels, but the objects represented there were included to provide a flow of blessings, good wishes, energy and good fortune to those using it.
This magnificent glazed stoneware garden stool was owned by a wealthy family that is reflected in its complex pierce-work and its use of cobalt blue, a prized mineral color normally used very sparingly. Its strong hexagonal walls are decorated with registers of varied heights running vertically up the sides and divided by horizontal cobalt blue lines surrounding the stool. The designs depicted here – narcissus flowers, double lozenges and the octagonal shapes below are all Chinese auspicious symbols, homophones, and visual puns laden with meaning and wishes for continual good fortune, prosperity and wealth and the protective casting out of demons for the family to reach their goals and wishes for a good life. This pairs well with garden stool 16779.
Fashioned in a traditional drum/barrel shape, this unusual and ornately decorated antique garden stool is covered with auspicious symbols, and the positive energy from them is believed to be absorbed by the lucky individual who sits on them. Highlighted with pierced decorations and circular reliefs the upper borders of the body of this beautiful stoneware stool is covered with four bands of apple green, white, brown and cobalt blue – an expensive and infrequently used pigment. The bottom portion is covered in a mustard yellow glaze with pierced and relief images of double coins, tao tieh and florals.
This five-sided Shiwan stoneware pillow with slanted top, open bottom, vibrant glazed surface, and etched coin and diamond design was used for smoking opium as the cool shell cradled the users’ heads and necks and offset the warmth of smoking and the hollow inside stored valuables. We have another which can be paired with it. If a candle is placed inside it emits an amazing shadowy form of a coin, which appealed to those in an opium state.
This beautifully carved God of Wealth (Caishen) is portrayed as are all Taoist deities as an authoritative figure, right hand firmly placed on his knee and left hand holding a tael. His outer robe has decorative borders down the front and carved coins at the shoulders, stomach, and an undergarment is gathered with a floral designed tasseled cord. His well-defined face with incised wrinkles and long beard has a benevolent expression with rounded cheeks and an open mouth, topped by an elaborate official’s hat with ribbon-like extensions. Very fittingly, it is painted with red and gold both associated with wealth.
This remarkable and enchanting figurine is Guanyin on her mythical mount, the Hǒu the guardian master of the universe and model for righteousness and morality who symbolizes bringing forth peace and prosperity.The round orb in its mouth representing a pearl can be rubbed for good luck. It is one of our most unique and favorite Buddhist statues, mounted on a frosted Acrylic stand.
Statues like this Guanyin in the Mahayana Pure Land Buddhist tradition were especially popular during the Ming and Qing dynasties. This carving epitomizes the best of folk art spiritual traditions of provincial artisans who replaced imperial constructs with provincial depictions that combined Buddhist, Taoist and Popular Religion traditions. Humble, charming and approachable portrayals of Guanyin like this were placed in homes and temples in provincial areas.
This elegant heddle-pulley carved from a single piece of Burmese teak is topped by a hamsa, a sacred Buddhist symbol of wisdom mentioned in the Jakata tales about the life of the Buddha. It is believed that auspicious symbolic animal images protected the weaver, assured quality weaving, and pleased the gods and spirits. This antique piece is wonderfully weathered from time and use.
This Hindu prayer bell was likely placed on a home or temple altar and in daily puja rituals. This simple yet elegant bell has a smooth and undecorated body with only incised parallel rings circling plain surfaces and is topped by a pair of Garudas sheltered by a hood of Nagas. Garuda, the mythical winged bird that is Vishnu’s mount, and Naga, a seven-headed hooded serpent, are natural enemies and when they are represented together, they symbolizes peace, a very appropriate adornment for the tranquility and serenity elicited by the pleasing sounds of a prayer bell.
Martin Lerner an Steven Kossak, The Lotus Transcendent: Indian and Southeast Asian Art from the Samuel Eilenberg Collection, Harry Abrams, New York, 1991.
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