Antique Tibetan Mala prayer beads, made with beads of conch shell strung on leather cord. Two leather tassels hand from its sides, with beads of white brass, ending with two highly important symbols in Tibetan Buddhism; a Vajra and a bell. Tibetan malas are comprised of 108 beads, used to count the number of times a mantra is recited during meditation. 19th century

Size: 18" total length

Antique Tibetan bronze figure of the Buddhist deity Kubera, lord of wealth, protector of the physical world. He lounges with piles of gold around him. In one hand he holds a mongoose, the enemy of the Naga (malevolent snake people and guardians to vast treasure), and a sweet morsel in his other. This form of Kubera is very well hand-cast with natural wear and patina.

19th Century

Size: 2.5" L x 2" W x 3"H

Antique Tibetan bronze double vajra, an important symbol in Vajrayana Buddhism, Hinduism, and Tantra religions. The name vajra means both thunderbolt and diamond, as it is a symbol of brute strength and indestructibility. The double vajra mirrors the outline of a mandala; Its four points represent North, South, East, and West. Its center piece represents the center of the universe with lotus pods blooming outwards to extend the five pronged weapons...

Antique Tibetan bronze "Thokcha" amulet of a conch shell. With small loop to be fastened and worn as jewelry. Natural green patina.

18th Century

Size: 2 1/8" L x 1" W

Antique Tibetan gilt bronze figure of the Buddhist deity Kubera, lord of wealth, protector of the physical world. He lounges with piles of gold around him. In one hand he holds a mongoose, who is said to spit jewels. The mongoose shows rule over the Naga (malevolent snake people and guardians to vast treasure). Kubera is shown seated on his vehicle, a large beast atop a lotus pod throne.

Size: 19th century

Size: 2.5" W x 1.25" D x 2.5" H

Antique Tibetan silver statue of Padmasambhava, or Guru Rinpoche, an 8th century Buddhist master in India. He is said to have lead the first Nyingma traditionalist teachings in Tibet, the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. He sits on a lotus throne, holding a vajra in his right hand and, in the other, a kapala (skull cup) filled with the elixir of life, the vase of longevity, topped with a small tree to grant wishes...

Vairochana's mudra is the dharmachakra mudra. It is the gesture of teaching which is divided of turning the wheel of the law. (There are many variation of this mudras) One form, Tibetan use is to hold both hands at the level of the heart. The right palm face faces outward and the left palm faces inward. One circle is forming by the thumb and index finger of the right hand and the second circle is formed by the thumb and the index finger of the left hand...

An antique set of four Indonesian betel nut cutters. Three of the smaller cutters are made with mixed metals and iron; One with the head of a goose, one with the head of a serpent, and one shaped as a peacock. The largest of the set is hand-carved into a playful dog.

The practice of betel nut chewing is common in many parts of South Asia. Slices of the areca nut would be wrapped in betel leaves and chewed, giving a mild stimulant effect...

Antique Thai panel with red and gilt pigments, featuring detailed hand-carvings of two dancing human figures with a monkey over a reticulated ground of various flora.

Dates from the 19th century

Dimensions : 13"L x 2" D x 16.5" H

An ornate tubular skirt, worn by wealthy women in Lampung, Sumatra. Woven in one piece, the striped cotton fabric decorated with couched gold-wrapped thread work and few sequins. Condition: fine, probably missing sequins. Dimension: 116 cm x 60 cm (double).

This powder horn is dating to the 19th / early 20th century. The curved body is made from water buffalo horn, beautifully carved with curvilinear motifs, the wide end with a wooden stopper. The gunpowder was stored in the Batak house in large gourds, the chief carried his own personal supply in such containers, which he wore suspended from a chain around his neck. Condition: the spout was originally with a closing mechanism plug, now lost...

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.

A gunpowder horn dating to the 19th / early 20th century. The slightly curved body is made from water buffalo horn, the wide end with a stopper, a zoomorphic closing mechanism and a small iron suspension lug. The gunpowder was stored in the Batak house in large gourds, the chief carried his own personal supply in such containers, which he wore suspended from a chain around his neck. Condition: the closing mechanism plug was broken ( now glued) and has losses...

Antique Thai/Burmese Sanskrit book fragments, called a "parabaik", which were once majorly used to document societal information through text and drawings. Made from thick sheets of paper, either blackened for text or whitened for colored drawings, which were then glued and folded together. This book fragment has a central black panel, with religious Sanskrit text in gilt, and gilt pigment figures kneeling in prayer on either side...

A framed pair of Southeast Asian palm leaf manuscripts, each side covered in gold leaf, with ornate filigree in red, and scenes of dancing people and beasts. With lines of text written in black lacquer pigment. These manuscripts have two holes each to be strung and bound together as a book. Professionally displayed suspended in glass and framed.

19th Century

Dimensions: 21.25" L x 23" H (entire frame) 22.5" L x 5" H (each manuscript)

A beautiful gunpowder horn dating to the 19th / early 20th century. Please visti the website of the Metropolitan Museum for a similar Parpanggalahan (www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/316143). The slightly curved body is made from water buffalo horn, carved with curvilinear motifs, and one metal insert. At the center a frontal Singa mask with iron suspension lug, to which a chain would have been attached, the zoomorphic closing mechanism is also ending in a Singa head...

An interesting gunpowder horn dating to the 19th / early 20th century. The slightly curved body is made from water buffalo horn, carved with different motifs as tendrils, fisch scales and Singa masks. The suspension area and the closing mechanism with Singa head, the wide end with a wooden stopper. The gunpowder was stored in the Batak house in large gourds, the chief carried his own personal supply in such containers like this one, which he wore suspended from a chain around his neck...

Antique Tibetan lacquer cabinet, hand-painted in motifs of flowers and foliage surrounding a central auspicious object on each front panel. Its 4 front doors are removable and swing open on rounded pegs. The top surface is slightly flared and has a panel carved with geometric designs below, similar to those seen in each painting.

Early 20th century

Dimensions: 46" L x 19" D x 37.5" H