Antique Tibetan Gau Box Silver Turquoise pendant necklace

A wonderful example of a Tibetan Coral Bead mala / neckpiece with a stunning mix of orange & red colours that have aged beautifully over the decades. Tib...

Antique Tibetan Sitting Rug or Runner This unique Tibetan carpet is somewhat unusual, both in size and design layout. It’s narrower and shorter than most classic khaden sleeping rug...

Stunning and rare Omani tribal necklace in gold and silver featuring eight Burgau thalers dated 1780 and a large amulet box (Hirz) also in gold and silver. 19th century. Very good condition. Preserved and professionally framed. Dimensions of the necklace: 52 x 30 x 3 Dimensions of the frame: 70 x 47 x 5 Secure shipping. This fine Omani necklace of silver and gold comprises two strands of spiky, seed pod-like silver beads; gold-wrapped beads; eight silver Maria Theresa thaler coins; and a large silver and gold amulet box, with multiple chain tassels each of which finishes with a square-shaped pendant cut from sheet silver. The cigar-shaped amulet box called hirz would have contained some Koranic verse or religious text. Such a spectacular display of wealth would only have been worn at times of important festivities such as marriage celebrations. Maria Theresa thalers were made in Austria since the reign of Empress Maria Theresa of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The Empress died in 1780 and since that time, all thalers that were subsequently struck were minted with that date regardless of the actual year that they were produced. The coins achieved such a level of trust for their silver content (which is 83.3% silver) in the Middle East that neither the design not the date was varied, and so for more than 200 years the coins were used as an international currency among the tribes and the states of the Middle East, in much the same way as the Spanish dollar was used as an international currency at the time elsewhere. The thalers were used to complete most important transactions locally and were also given as dowries. They were also an important source of silver and were melted locally for jewellery. The coins made their way to the ports of the Red Sea, Egypt and northern Africa from the ports of Genoa, Trieste, Livorno and Marseille. European traders used the coins to buy precious materials from the Gulf and northern Africa which it desired – commodities such as spices, coffee, gum Arabic, indigo, pearls, and tortoise shell. The importance and the beauty of the coins saw them incorporated into local jewellery most particularly in Oman and Yemen. References Al-Jadir, S., Arab & Islamic Silver, Stacey International, 1981. Harrigan, P., ‘Tales of a Thaler’, Saudi Aramco World, January/February 2003. Hawley, R., Omani Silver, Longman, 1978. Hawley, R., Silver: The Traditional Art of Oman, Stacey International, 2000. Rajab, J.S., Silver Jewellery of Oman, Tareq Rajab Museum, 1998. Ransom, M., Silver Treasures from the Land of Sheba: Regional Yemeni Jewelry...

Large Tibetan storage chest with traditional hand painted Dragons Tibet Wood, Iron, Paint 19th century. 27 x 59.5 x 22.5 in./ 69 x 151 x 57 Height on custom display St...

This vintage Southwestern Native American cuff bracelet, crafted by a Pueblo artisan circa 1915, is a striking example of early Old Pawn jewelry. Made...

Miao Tribe Interlaced & Massed Rings Silver Pectoral Necklace Miao Tribe, Northern Vietnam, Laos & Southwest China, Mid 20th Century An exquisite Miao Tribe Interlaced & Massed Ri...

The arrangement of these antique shells, meticulously strung together, creates a harmonious symphony of textures and tones. Their timeless elegance and natural radiance make this nec...

Traditional torque or Hansuli silvered necklace choker from Lambadi or Banjara and Sugali People, Andhra Pradesh, India.t India, circa 1940. Fabulous vi...

This pair of Akha tribe bracelets are smaller and thinner than the majority of Akha woven silver bracelets encompassing this spiral design, the Akha tribe lives on the hills borderin...

A rare and authentic set of three carved wooden vessels from Tibet, dating to the 19th century. Each vessel is individually carved from a single block of wood and adorned with intri...