Mother-of-Pearl Antiquities

Late 19th-early 20th century Chinese hand decorated porcelain figure. Beautifully hand decorated Chinese porcelain figure. This stunning colorful finely detailed figurine or sculptur...

A four-tier Japanese Meiji period black lacquer Jubako box with stork and fir tree decoration. Box in four sections with lid.

A fantastic Japanese powder horn. The horn has inlay of mother of pearl in the shape of a grasshopper. The Japanese craftsmanship at its best.

An exceptional Indo-Portuguese colonial mother-of-pearl veneered casket with silver mounts India, Gujarat, 2nd half of the 16th century, the silver mounts Goa or probably Lisbon Measures: H. 16 x W. 24.6 x D. 16.1 cm An exceptional Gujarati casket with a rectangular box and truncated pyramidal lid (with slopes on each side and a flat top) made from exotic wood, probably teak (Tectona grandis), covered with a mother-of-pearl mosaic. The tesserae, cut from the shell of the green turban sea snail (Turbo marmoratus, a marine gastropod) in the shape of fish scales, are pinned to the wooden structure with silver ball-headed nails. The casket is set on bracket feet on the corners. The masterfully engraved decoration of the silver mounts follows the most refined and erudite Mannerist repertoire of rinceaux and ferroneries dating from the mid-16th century. The high quality and refinement of the silver mounts and, likewise, the silver nails that replaced the original brass pins used to hold the mother-of-pearl tesserae in place indicate the work of a silversmith probably working in Lisbon in the second half of the 16th century. The Indian origin of this production, namely from Cambay (Khambhat) and Surat in the present state of Gujarat in north India, is, as for the last three decades, consensual and fully demonstrated, not only by documentary and literary evidence - such as descriptions, travelogues and contemporary archival documentation - but also by the survival in situ of 16th-century wooden structures covered in mother-of-pearl tesserae. A fine example is a canopy decorating the tomb (dargah) of the Sufi saint, Sheik Salim Chisti (1478-1572) in Fatehpur Sikri in Agra district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, north India. This is an artistic production, geometric in character and Islamic in nature, where usually the mother-of-pearl tesserae form complex designs of fish scales or, similar to the dishes also made using the same technique, with the thin brass sheets and pins, stylized lotus flowers. The truncated pyramidal shape corresponds, like their contemporary tortoiseshell counterparts also made in Gujarat, to a piece of furniture used in the Indian subcontinent within the Islamic world prior to the arrival of the first Portuguese. This shape, in fact, is very old and peculiar to East-Asian caskets, chests or boxes used to contain and protect Buddhist texts, the sutras. A similar chest is the famous and large reliquary chest from Lisbon cathedral that once contained the relics of the city's patron saint, Saint Vincent. Both match in shape, having the same kind of socle or pedestal and bracket feet, and in their engraved silver mountings, featuring the same type of refined, erudite decoration. Their differences lie in the silver borders that frame the entire length of the edges of the chest (both the box and the lid), pinned with silver nails, and on the lock plate, shaped like a coat of arms in the Lisbon example. Given the exceptional dimensions of the reliquary casket...

Chinese wood carving with stand Age: China, 19th Century Size: Height 22.5 / Width 50.8 C.M. / Thickness 5.7 C.M. Size including stand: Height...

Large 8-winged lacquer shade, richly carved with garden scenes, symbols, ornamentation, trees and birds. Early 20th century. H. 224 W. 320 cm. Age-related wear; marks, cracks and cra...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this rather exceptional Chinese cinnabar lacquer box and cover circa 18th century with a top depicting Butte...

product of late Edo period, estimate 1850s- 1860s - about 160+ years-old medium sized tansu (chest of drawers) with 5 drawers. Finished with traditional Urushi lacquer remains well, and some old paper labels still remained, both giving a good wabi sabi touch to the item. Fine opening closing operation for all drawers. drawer inner 1,2 3 (from the top) : w 20.87 in / d 10.63 in / h 2.95 in, 3.35 in, 4.33 in 4 5 : w 9.84 in / d 10.63 in / h 5.2 in actual item weight 27.31 lb (12.38 kg) Dear customer - feel free to inquire me for the shipping fee quote. The shipping fee showed in the page is automatically calculated by the system, I'm able to offer reasonable quote via Fedex. *** We're eco-friendly, organic-oriented vintage wood furniture...

Antique Thai wood carving with angel, carved as Naga under leaf-shape, painted with lacquer and golden color, decorated with mirror-tiles, used for temple decoration...

A fine and impressive antique Chinese Export Silver cigarette / card case; part of our diverse Asian silverware collection. This fine antique Chinese Export Silver (CES) cigarette/card case has a plain rectangular form with rounded corners. The anterior cover is embellished with an embossed and chased decorated iconic Chinese dragon design amidst clouds, on a matte background, incorporating a shield shaped vacant cartouche. The posterior cover is ornamented with traditional embossed and chased plum blossom foliate and floral decoration, also on a matte background. The rounded sides of this antique silver cigarette case...

Antique Burmese bronze bell with clapper inside with stand. Age: Burma, 19th Century Size of bell only: Height 12.5 C.M. / Width 9.4 C.M. Height i...

Tibetan wooden Buddhist Mahakala mask (Shaman Exorcism Mask Yama God of Death) with stand. Age: Tibet, 19th Century Size: Height 33.8 C.M. / Width 25.5...