Kingfisher Feather Hair Pins, 19th Century, Set of Two

19th century sterling silver Malaysian Dagger. Original carved mahogany wood handle. Sterting silver carved crown. Damascene steel. The kris is an as...

A large tobacco pipe from old Burma (Myanmar), circa 1850. Solid wood bowl, chamber and shank. The stem is made of bone, attached to the shank by a mor...

An antique Thai ceremonial wooden drum from the 19th century, with leather drumhead. Sculptural and freestanding, this 19th century drum, created in Thailand, will make for a great decorative accentuation in any home. Topped with a leather drumhead secured with ropes, the drum is adorned with carved motifs on the belly. With its slender silhouette and rustic appearance, this antique Thai drum...

PRESENTING an EXTREMELY UNIQUE and RARE 19C British Tunbridgeware Hair Pin/Bobbin or Slide. This slide is unlike any of it’s kind we have seen before, it is a VERY RARE survivor. From circa 1860 – 80 and made in Tunbridge Wells, England. Made of walnut with gorgeous marquetry inlay on the entirety of the front with classic Tunbridgeware micro-mosaic all over the front. The rear is walnut. The marquetry inlay appears to be various different woods, namely, maple, walnut and satinwood. Would have been worn in a Lady’s hair bun with the micro-mosaic facing forward. This would have belonged to a VERY ELEGANT LADY in the mid to late 19th Century. Tunbridge ware is a form of decoratively inlaid woodwork, typically in the form of boxes, that is characteristic of Tonbridge and the spa town of Royal Tunbridge Wells in Kent in the 18th and 19th centuries. The decoration typically consists of a mosaic of many very small pieces of different coloured woods that form a pictorial vignette. Shaped rods and slivers of wood were first carefully glued together, then cut into many thin slices of identical pictorial veneer with a fine saw. Elaborately striped and feathered bandings for framing were pre-formed in a similar fashion. There is a collection of Tunbridge ware in the Tunbridge Wells Museum and Art Gallery in Tunbridge Wells. The famous makers of Tunbridge ware were in the Tunbridge Wells area of Kent; their most notable work was from circa 1830-1900. Early makers of Tunbridge ware, in Tunbridge Wells in the mid-18th century, were the Burrows family, and Fenner and Co. In the 19th century, around 1830, James Burrows invented a technique of creating mosaics from wooden tesserae. Henry Hollamby, apprenticed to the Burrows family, set up on his own in 1842 and became an important manufacturer of Tunbridge ware, employing about 40 people. Edmund Nye (1797–1863) and his father took over the Fenner company when William Fenner retired in 1840, after 30 years in partnership with him. Thomas Barton (1819–1903), previously apprenticed at the Wise factory, joined the Nyes in 1836, and worked as Nye’s designer; he took over the business in 1863 and continued there until his death. In Tonbridge (near to Tunbridge Wells), George Wise (1703–1779) is known to have had a business in 1746. It continued with his son Thomas, and Thomas’s nephew George (1779–1869), who took over in 1806. In its early years the company made articles such as workboxes and tea caddies with prints of popular views; later items had pictures created from mosaics. Their workshop in Tonbridge, Wise’s Tunbridge Ware Manufactory, was next to the Big Bridge over the Medway; the building was demolished in 1886 to widen the approach to the bridge. Tunbridge ware became popular with visitors to the spa town of Tunbridge Wells, who bought them as souvenirs and gifts. Articles included cribbage boards, paperweights, writing slopes, snuffboxes and glove boxes. At the Great Exhibition of 1851, Tunbridge ware by Edmund Nye, Robert Russell and Henry Hollamby was shown; Edmund Nye received a commendation from the judges for his work. He exhibited a table depicting a mosaic of a ship at sea; 110,800 tesserae were used in making the picture. The manufacturers of Tunbridge ware were cottage industries, and they were no more than nine in Tunbridge Wells and one in Tonbridge. The number declined in the 1880s; competent craftsmen were hard to find, and public tastes changed. After the death of Thomas Barton in 1903 the only surviving firm was Boyce, Brown and Kemp, which closed in 1927. Marquetry was an old technique which was continued by Nye and Barton to create images such as birds or butterflies. ‘Green Oak’ as caused by the fungus Chlorociboria aeruginascens. Stickware and half-square mosaic was invented by James Burrows in about 1830: a bunch of wooden sticks of different colours, each having triangular or diamond-shaped cross section, were tightly glued together; in the case of stickware, the resulting block was dried, then turned to form an article such as the base of a pincushion. For half-square mosaic, thin slices were taken from the composite block, and applied to a surface. Tesselated mosaic, was a development by James Burrows of half-square mosaic; it was adopted by George Wise and Edmund Nye. Minute tesserae were used to form a wide variety of geometric and pictorial designs. Many sorts of wood were used for the various colours; about 40 were in regular use. Only natural colors were used; green was provided by “green oak”, produced by the action of fungus on fallen oak. Designs for articles were often taken from designs of Berlin wool work.

These 19th-century English juggler’s pins, with their ebonized finish and slender, tapered form, carry a sense of mystery and history in their weathered appearance. Highlighted by go...

A set of three 19th-century tools used for harvesting opium latex from poppy flowers. Formed of bamboo handles and iron blades, the rustic tools were used to scratch the surface of a...

A small Chinese chatelaine tool set strung with a petite white brass spoon and scraper tool. The small tools hang from a charm shaped as the "Wheel of Life," a Buddhist symbol of ete...

Rare Buddhist alter shrine, made in pine wood. Rich on carved figural sceneries. Original polychrome lacquer, beautiful and untouched condition. From Shanxi Province in China.

This Chinese opera hand puppet is dress in an elegant, embroidered silk dragon robe. The puppet head is of painted wood. The white face usually represents a villain. Puppetry is a major entertainment performance art in Chinese traditional theatre. This traditional performance art was widely used in religious and rural events to exorcise evil spirits. Puppets are also used in festivals such as the Chinese Ghost Festival to scare away ghosts, as well as significant events including births or marriage or to entertain audiences. The puppet theatre has developed into several different genres amongst different areas in China including rod puppets, glove puppets, shadow puppets and string puppets...

Northern Plains hair drop. Beaded blue with red accents. Quilled drops having tin cones and yellow feather fluffs with long black horsehair drop. Period: 19th century Origin: Great Plains - Northern Plains, Native American Size: 6" x 35" overall Family Owned & Operated Cisco’s Gallery deals in the rare, exceptional, and one-of-a-kind pieces that define the history of America and the Old West. Our pieces range from American Indian to Cowboy Western and include original items of everyday life, commerce, art, and warfare that tamed America’s frontier. Our 14,000 square foot gallery opened in 1996 in beautiful Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Personal Service Cisco’s operates on old fashioned values – honesty and integrity, and all of our items are backed by our money back guarantee. We appreciate the opportunity to earn your business. Whether you desire assistance with a jewelry purchase, choosing a gift, identification, or even selling – we hope to be your trusted source. Native American, garments, Blackfeet, headdress, collectibles, antiques, Native American beadwork...