TRIBA Asian Art and Furniture

Medium Maranao Betel Nut Box, Southern Philippines (Mindanao). A bronze box with bordered silver inlay design overall of a symmetrical floral tendril vine pattern referred to as the ...

Antique Chinese Bai-tong Hand Warmer. The large rectangular bun form has a hinged overhead handle and filigree pierced lid in a hexagonal pattern. The solid sides has engraved decor...

Antique Japanese Samurai Suit of Armor, Edo period, 18th century. A complete matching set of lacquered iron work; the cuirass with dragonfly decoration and blue lacing, a Kaga schoo...

Annamese Blue and White Ceramic Jarlet, Chu Dao Kilns. The pomegranate shaped jarlet with globular body, narrow flat base and sepal everted mouth rim decorated in under glaze cobalt ...

Antique Thai Buddhist Scene Painting on Cloth, Rattanakosin School, 19th Century. A classical scene of Prince Siddhartha renouncing the world of the pleasures of privilege. The centr...

Vintage Japanese 2-panel screen of a Khmer rubbing. The large rubbing taken from the bas-relief carvings on the first tier southern gallery of the Angkor Wat temple complex in Siem ...

Shopkeeper’s Money Box with Blessings Southern China Late 19th/early 20th century Wood, bamboo H: 7 in x W: 14.75 in x D: 11.75 in Two dragons sit surrounding a pearl of wisdom on t...

Two-tiered Hat Box China Qing dynasty (ca. 1870) Wood, bamboo H: 20 in x D: 14.75 in :: 50.8 cm x 37.5 cm The box holds two Mandarin’s cone shaped hats: the summer hat in the top ti...

Storage Box with Lid Tibet 17th/18th century Wood, embossed leather, brass H: 9.25 in x D: 12.5 in :: 24 cm x 31.75 cm An exceptional round wood and leather-bound box. The top havin...

Japanese Wooden Daruma Daruma, a Japanese Zen God who lost the use of his legs from sitting and meditating on top of the mountain for eternity. It has become a legend in Japanese fo...

Japanese Shishi Dog, lying down on all fours, mouth open, playfully displaying his tongue. Unusual pose for a shi shi dog. Signed by the artist, crea...

Pair of Articulated Paper Mache Bunraku Puppet Legs, Japanese, Meiji period This pair of Meiji period Bunraku paper mache legs are a rare and intriguing piece of art. Bunraku is a f...

Puppet hand fragment, wood, Japanese, Meiji period. This Meiji period Bunraku wooden arm is a rare and intriguing piece of art. Bunraku is a form of traditional Japanese puppet the...

Early 20th century porcelain Maneki Neko, Japan This porcelain Maneki Neko, the good fortune beckoning cat, is a molded seated form with the right raised paw closely to the side of ...

Trunk Tibet ...

Old Thai Ironwood Millstone. A weathered solid thick piece of ironwood originally carved to create a deep track pattern on one side as the grinding surface, possibly used for the gri...

Antique Thai Hardwood Betelnut Box. A turned wood globular chedi form having a narrower pedestal base, fitted wood conical top shaped with circular tiers...

Annamese Blue and White Ceramic Small Box, Chu Dau kiln, Vietnam, circa 1500. A globular form with a narrow slightly countersunk base. The cover crisply decorated in a line drawing of cobalt depicting a central floral medallion from which radiate six foliate petals, the sides with six peaked cartouche containing alternating patterns of waves and leafy tendrils. The design perfectly aligning over the well fitting lid to the body. Condition: One tiny popped blister on the lid, minor rim frits, otherwise excellent condition. Measuring: 1.375 in. high x 1.9375 in. in diameter. (35 x 50 mm) Weight: 2 oz. (58g.) 15th/16th century. Provenance: Vietnam art...

Nepalese Rock Crystal Stupa. Carved from one solid piece of Himalayan Quartz that is clear in color with inclusions and matrix lines. The form is identified as the Jangchub Chorten d...

Antique Thai Buddhist Gilt Bronze Figure of Phra Sangkachai, Rattanakosin Kingdom, late 19th Century. This rotund figure of a corpulent monk sits cross-legged with hands around his large belly on a tiered plinth. The patterned robe and cloth hanging down in the front of the plinth are typical of Rattanakosin decorative style. The bronze casting has a hard clay core remaining and is lacquered overall in black and red with a gold leaf finish.The Thai Phra Sangkachai also known as Phra Mahaccayana (Pali: Mahakaccayan, Sanskrit: Mahakatyayana) may have originated from early Theravada Buddhist traditions of the Mon culture in Burma as a wealth-bestowing deity. From the Lotus Sutra, chapter 6, he is named as an Arhat (one who attains Enlightenment) and is revered for his ability to explain the dharma teachings in a clear manner. He is sometimes confused with the Chinese Laughing Buddha...

Antique Burmese Buddhist Opposing Pair of Bronze Monks, Shan States. The figures are often referred to as Moggollana and Sariputta. Two smooth bronze kneeling male figures rendered a...

Trunk Tibet 17th/18th century Wood, leather, metal H: 8 in x W: 8.5 in x D 8.5 in :: 20.3 x 21.6 x 21.6 cm A slightly domed top hinged trunk with brass handles, closures and sculpte...

Court Uniform for Imperial Appointee, c. 1887. Wool with gold brocade. Court and military uniforms in emulation of European ensembles were officially adopted by the Japanese gover...

Khmer Ceramic Lime Pot. A squat globular stoneware jarlet with a high shoulder in the form of a bird covered in a brown glaze stopping short of the elevated foot displaying the beig...

apanese Oribe style ceramic Abura-zara, an oil plate used to catch the drippings from a suspended oil dish in a lantern, simple flat circular form with slightly raised beaded edge an...

Antique Thai Ceramic White War Elephant. A hand sculpted stoneware figure of elephant and rider. The solid elephant stands firmly four square on a rec...

19th Century Stoneware Cat Pillow, China A charming antique stoneware cat pillow from China, cream background with classic brown spots. In great conditi...

A Spinach Jade Snuff Bottle, Qing Dynasty. The flattened ovoid form symmetrically rendered from a waxy spinach green speckled nephrite stone having a high shoulder and short stout round neck, with the countersunk mouth having a narrow aperture. The flat narrow base concave bearing a carved 3 character studio mark. The stopper of coral and vinyl collar attached to a cork with evidence of a previous ivory spoon...

Antique Thai Vessantara Jataka Scene Painting on Cloth, Rattanakosin School, 19th Century. A classical scene from chapter 12 in the next-to-last life of the Buddha wherein Vessantara...

Vintage Chinese Rosewood and Glass Display Case. A wall mounted or table top display case with hinged glass door, frame of light colored rosewood, interior with 18 individual shelve...

Vintage Pernakan Kain Panjang Batik Tulis, Cirebon, Java 1950. A fine hand drawn wax resist painting by canting on cotton of a traditional Java north coast Pernakan zig-zag pattern w...

Vintage Indonesian Kemben Batik Tulis (Breast cloth), Jogja (Yogyakarta), Java 1970. This kemben batik has a hand-drawn design on cotton by wax resist canting. The traditional ceremo...

Vintage Burmese Kammavaca Manuscript Chest. A rectangular wooden hinged lid box painted red with gold leaf shwe zawa gold leaf decorations of foliate...

Antique Japanese Yosegi (Marquetry) Shibayama Ko Tansu, Meiji period The marquetry is composed of keyayaki (zelkova) and kakinoki (persimmon) wood. Two small doors with inlaid Moth...

Pair of Large Japanese Ceramic Shi-Shi Dogs roof tiles, Bizen kiln, 20th c. Bizen kiln is one of the oldest and well known kilns in Japan. This is a very unusual pose of Shi-Shi Do...

Cooking Vat Cover Japan Early 20th century Cryptomeria (Japanese Cedar) ...

Tobacco Water Pipe with Set of Complete Accessories China Late 19th/early 20th century White metal (baiting), copper decoration, silk cording and tassel H: 22 in :: 56 cm Water pipe...

Large Red Offering Tray, Burma Late 19th/early 20th century Bamboo, lacquer ...

The Inro is comprised of three stacked compartments and features a deer motif with mother of pearl accents, an ojime and a wooden frog netsuke. Inros were used to store items like m...

Large Red Offering Bowl Burma Late 19th/early 20th century Bamboo, lacquer D: 21 in x H: 7.5 in :: 78.7 cm x 19 cm Traditionally used to bring offerings to an altar, and to present ...

Small Betel Nut Box, Maranao, Southern Philippines (Mindanao). Bronze with bordered silver inlay design overall of a symmetrical floral tendril vine pattern referred to as “the okir ...

Vintage Indonesian Kain Panjang and Matching Selendang Batik Tulis, Cirebon, Java 1960. A fine hand drawn wax resist painting by canting on cotton of a traditional flora and fauna pa...

Cast with a globular top with a central aperture on both sides, pierced with radiating petals to one side, supported on a tall spreading foot of rectangular section cast with raised ...

A ruyi (Chinese: 如意; pinyin: Rúyì; lit. 'as desired', 'as [you] wish') is a Chinese curved decorative object that serves as either a ceremonial scepter in Chinese Buddhism or a talis...

Vintage Savunese Ikat Sarong (Ei), a tubular warp ikat cotton ankle length garment with two large wide decorative bands with five large abstract (Hubi Ae) floral motifs in reserve on...

Vintage Sumba Slendang Shoulder Cloth/Scarf with Animal Design. Indigo and morinda root dyed cotton warp handwoven in a mirror image design depicting an ark of animal pairs including...

Chinese ink rubbing printing depicting Panthaka Arhat, no.4 of the 16 arhat images immortalized in stone at the former stupa at Shengyin Temple. Depicted here sitting on a rock with a book in his left hand and snapping his fingers in his right hand, symbolic of the speed at which he obtained enlightenment, accompanied by a beggar’s bowl and an incense burner, complete with colophons and silk scroll mounting. The Emperor Qianlong ordered the stone stele to be carved in 1764 after the arhat designs painted by the famed artist Guanxiu (832-912). Even though the temple was destroyed in the Taiping rebellion, the steles remain and have been reinstalled at the Hangzhou Stele Forest. Condition: Creases from rolling, otherwise fine condition. Mounting: 58” x 22”. 19th Century. Ex Collection: Frank “Till” & Peggy Durdin, San Diego. For other rubbings of this stele see: Penn Museum, object number 2010-26-4 The Metropolitan Museum of Art AN#: 59.195.15 Fine Arts Library of Harvard University, record id: W280021_urn-3:FHCL:478850 For another example of this image rendered in jade and lacquer see: “Screen Paintings of Guanxiu’s Sixteen Arhats in the Collection of the Palace Museum” Luo Wehhua translated by Bruce Doar, Orientations, September 2010, p. 104. In this article the image is identified as the sixteenth arhat Abheda, It is explained in this article that Qianlong re-identified the arhats, thus the 16th Arhat attribution for this image. Also in this article the identical colophon by Qianlong above the image is translated as: “These accurate portraits of the Sixteen Arhats were created by the Tang Dynasty painter Guanxiu, as recorded in Xuanhe Huapu (Record of paintings in the Xuanhe Reign), and during the millennium from the Guangming reign period to the present day, the original works were to be found in Zhejiang, where they were housed in the collection of Shengyin Temple in Qiantang (Huangzhou). In spring of the dingchou year (1757) of his reign, the Qianlong emperor undertook a southern tour of inspection and stayed at an imperial lodge on the West Lake. He went to the temple to pay his respects and there he saw the arhats on display and wrote a description of these marvels. The sequence of the arhats and their names had been passed down since ancient times, but they did not correspond to their Sanskrit titles; the sequence of the arhat names conformed instead to the interpretation of the Sanskrit classics by the Zhangjia State Preceptor. The emperor penned the original names and positions in the sequence below each of the figures in accordance with the readings supplied in Tongwen Yuntong (Unified Rhymes), and below each he penned an encomium, which he signed. Then the images were returned to the collection, to be passed down as a perpetual treasure. Now, the fourth great arhat had long gone missing and we did not know where his painting was. But it was merely a trifling matter of matching the images with the names, and now surely we have found him! This I, the emperor, believe.” All 16 of these rubbings can be found in the Rubel Chinese Rubbings Collection at the Fine Arts Library of Harvard University with the following descriptive historical note: “Rubbing from stele depicting No. 4 of 16 arhats (Lohans, Buddhist saints) -- Nan ti mi duo luo qing you, Panthaka Arhat. Original painting attributed to Guanxiu, 832-912. Inscriptions written by Hongli, Emperor Qianlong (Gaozong, 1711-1799) of Qing Dynasty. 7 seals of Qianlong follow the inscriptions. Script style: in xing shu. Shi liu zun zhe -- "The 16 noble ones" are 16 lohans. Lohans are also called "a-lo-han" based on the transliteration of the Sanskrit term "arhat." (Japanese: Rakan; Chinese: Lohan; Tibetan: Gnas-brtan). Arhats or Arahants are saints or sages said to have renounced nirvana (freedom from the cycle of suffering and rebirth), vowed to remain in the world to protect the Dharma and propagate the Law of the Buddha in order to devote themselves more effectively to the relief of human misery, like the Bodhisattvas. These 16 Arhats, personal disciples distinguished by the Buddha, formed part of the 500 claimed by tradition to have attended the First Council in Rajagrha. The names and abodes of these 16 arhats are given in a work entitled "Record on the Duration of the Law, spoken by the Great arhat Nadimitra," which was translated into Chinese by the famous pilgrim Xuanzang (596-664) in 654. 16 lohans are quite often represented, especially in China and Japan, in sculpture and painting, in poses and with attributes. Every lohan can be easily with special icongraphic characteristics. Guanxiu (Jiang Deyin or Deyuan, a Buddhist monk also named Master Chan Yue, 832-912) -- painter during late Tang to Five Dynasties, specialized in painting lohan figures. Legend has it that the first portraits of the 18 Lohans...

Traditional Silk Shaman’s Shoulder Cloth, Tai Daeng, Houaphanh Province, Laos. This is a man/woman healing cloth or shaman’s shawl, so named as the center se...

Tea container, wood, Daruma shape with etched Durama image, both body and top. Smooth patina due to use and light lacquered finish. A charming and useful item. Weighs 1/2 lb Measu...

Cambodian Rock Crystal Sculpture of Jayavarman VII in Meditation. A contemporary lapidary carving from one solid piece of quartz with cloudy areas and inclusions. The seated figure i...

Korean inlaid celadon oil bottle, squat globular shape with narrow neck and mouth having an impressed rope pattern revealed in white slip , on the shoul...

Antique Japanese Lacquered Wood Temple Stand. An open panel style rectangular table with black lacquered top, lacquered and gold leafed base having chased gilt metal side fittings, ...

20th Century Hollow Abstract Iron Sculpture, Japan This heavy hollow iron sculpture by an unknown Japanese metalsmith is a knockout from every angle. It measure 9 inches high by 9 i...

Vintage Hand Dyed Cotton Batik Slendang (Selendang), Java. A length of cotton fabric used as a shoulder cloth, hand dyed in three colors of rust brown, indigo and a dark blue painted...

Vintage Hand Dyed Cotton Batik Slendang (Selendang), Java. A length of cotton fabric used as a shoulder cloth, hand dyed in two colors: red and blue painted over a wax resist design,...

Medium Betel Nut Box, Maranao, Southern Philippines (Mindanao). Bronze with bordered silver inlay design overall of a symmetrical floral tendril vine pattern referred to as “the okir...

Vintage Japanese Obi. Gold kinran abstract wave pattern on a diagonal white on white brocade ground, continuous on one side, center section lined on the reverse side. Minor signs of...

Balinese Traditional Painting, acrylics on canvas by W. Erawati. The scene depicts a dense composition of village life just outside of a temple on a festival day with the numerous fi...

A fine bronze tribute drum (Heger Type III), Pazi (Burmese), pam klo’ (Karen). This unique lost wax casting of a drum is ornamented with 8 frogs with bulging eyes placed in stacks o...

An irregular shaped slice of Dalbergia root burl with a dark center and blonde surround, all figured with multiple “bird’s eyes” and knobby live edge, supported by four short and cur...