Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian (179)

Very Fine and Rare Silver Inlaid Iron Brazier (a source of heating and light), hexagonal shape, beautifully rendered and in excellent condition. Each protuberant side is decorated with a keyfret-bordered roundel enclosing six different works of art: a crane and sea turtle in beautifully stylized clouds and waves beneath a silvery moon (symbols of longevity); one of the Eight Buddhist Emblems of an oversized conch shell; a leafy floral design symbolizing abundance; a leafy branch of pomegranates whose many seeds symbolize fertility; another leafy floral branch; and a deer couple at rest beneath a wonderfully curving pine tree that encircles and protects this gorgeous, idyllic scene blessed with symbolism of a long, healthy, happy and peaceful life filled with love. Each roundel is surrounded by a cell diaper pattern with a keyfret border on each side of the brazier. The decorated waisted neck supports a flat everted hexagonal rim decorated with a floral vignette on a cell diaper ground and a keyfret border, all resting on a keyfret-bordered base with six bracket feet decorated with lotus flowers and scrolls. The lotus is a Buddhist symbol of purity, because it rises above the muck to the surface of the pond to show its face to the sun, symbolizing hope and redemption. Height: 6.5 inches, 16.5 cm; Width: 8 inches, 20 cm.

Antique Korean Black Inkstone Box and Antique Inkstone. The poem on the lid is a beautiful work of calligraphy. It can be read in two directions as "Celebrated mountain object" and "Celebrated mountain extraordinary wisdom", meaning that this object will be used in the pursuit of wisdom. The inkstone has a banana leaf motif, referencing the 8th Century Chinese scholar and celebrated calligrapher, Huaisu who wrote on banana leaves when he ran out of paper. A rare and most interesting find. 9.5w x 6d x 2.75h inches, 24w x 15d x 7h cm.

Rare Antique Korean Doll Couple with exact details in the costumes of that era (late 19th Century). These were used in rituals. This is an exceptional example, with very personal features, such as the woman's swollen cheek bones and pursed lips, and the man's introspective eyes, that go well with their bent postures from many years of living a full life. It is rare to find dolls from this era that are so artistically and beautifully rendered with so much heart-warming emotion. It is equally rare to find a man with an original walking stick. 8.5 inches, 21.5 cm.

Mongolian Priest Mask from Humia, Nepal, collected by Eric Chazot, 9.5 inches, 24 cm.

Rare Antique Onggi Medicinal Pot and Cover from Gyeonggi Province, with a beautiful deep, dark brown color. This pot is formed from two halves, a bottom half and a top half, that are put together to form this striking and unusual shape, with a ridged seam around the circumference of the pot. The clay is rich in iron and the glaze is made from clay mixed with wood ash and a little raw lead. The result is a rich dark chocolate brown. Height: 8 inches, 20.5 cm; Circumference: 26.5 inches, 67.25 cm. Onggi are the most 'Korean' of Korean pots. All words related to onggi are of pure Korean origin, not based on Chinese characters. They are a beautiful form of Korean folk art.

17th Century Tibetan Amitabha Thangka, 46.5 x 25.5 inches, 118 x 65 cm. Most of these thangka were photographed through glass frames, so there may be a little blurriness. This thankga was in an exhibition at the University of Texas Art Museum.

17th Century Tibetan Padmasambhava Thangka, 24.25 x 18 inches, 61.5 x 45.5 cm. Most of these thangka were photographed through glass frames, so there may be a little blurriness. This thankga was in an exhibition at the University of Texas Art Museum.

Rare Early 18th Century Bhutanese Thangka Painting of Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche), founder of Tibetan Buddhism. 26.5 x 21 inches, 67.25 x 53.25 cm.

17th Century Vajravarahi Tibetan Thangka. Fine Antique Tibetan Thangka of the Sakti of Samvara, Vajravarahi (Tibetan: Hod-zer Chan-ma), Goddess of War and Victory, with a necklace of skulls, a staff of skulls, a skull bowl, and a crown of skulls. She is dancing on a lifeless body surrounded by a mandorla of flames. Most of these thangka were photographed through glass frames, so there may be a little blurriness. This thankga was in an exhibition at the University of Texas Art Museum. Mineral pigments and traces of gold on silk. 17 x 13 inches, 43 x 33 cm.

One-Of-A-Kind 18th Century Korean Staff Sword, Changpogeom, a style of sword unique to Korea, with seven gold inlay dots on each side representing the Seven Star Spirit (Chilseong), an ancient Daoist deity that controls fortune. Antique Changpogeom are rare. It's a staff with a fighting blade inside. And a Chilseong Changpogeom (Seven Star Staff Sword) is so rare that this may be the only surviving example. It is a large weapon, 43 inches (110cm) with a a 32 inch (81cm) blade, and the blade is a very high quality fighting blade. This is truly a museum quality sword.

Calligraphy by the Joseon Dynasty's Last Prime Minister, Lee Wan Yong aka Ildang (1858 - 1926). He was prime minister of Korea in 1906 - 1910. Lee is Korea's most infamous traitor, the "Benedict Arnold of Korea", for signing the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty in 1910. Connoisseurs begrudgingly acknowledge his great talents as a calligrapher, but the disdain with which he is regarded keeps the demand, and thus the prices of his work very low. Mounted on sky blue silk. Scroll: 74.5 x 17.5 inches, 189 x 44.5 cm; Calligraphy: 51.5 x 12.75 inches, 131 x 32.5 cm.

17th Century Tibetan Arhat Thangka, 36 x 26 inches, 91.5 x 66 cm. Most of these thangka were photographed through glass frames, so there may be a little blurriness. This thankga was in an exhibition at the University of Texas Art Museum.

Rare 17th Century Tibetan Chakrasamvara Thangka with numerous inscriptions on the back. There is a tape repair on the center of the back. 26 x 19.5 inches, 66 x 50 cm.

19th Century Sharkskin Head Band Case with Lacquered Dragon and Many Fine Details. A string would have been looped through either the lacquered dragon or the brass ring on the lid. Only a high-ranking person would have had a case that was made of sharkskin. This one is completely covered in sharkskin. The beautifully rendered brass hardware has grape motifs etched into them, a symbol of abundance, because of its many seeds. The chrysanthemum on the lid is also a symbol of plenty, because of its many petals. The other brass work on the lid is the two ancient Daoist trigrams, 'Thunder' and 'Fire'. Altogether a marvelous and rare work of artistry in excellent condition. 6.25 x 3.5 inches, 16 x 9 cm.

Rare Old Korean Map with Beautiful Topographic Detail of Korea's many mountain ranges. The list of kings at the bottom ends with Sukjong, whose reign ended in 1720. It also has a list of distances from various places to the capital, and mileage charts of distances between various locations. Map: 42 x 24 inches, 106.5 x 61 cm; Frame: 59 x 30.25 inches, 150 x 77 cm.

Early 20th Century Large Black-Lacquered Mother-of-Pearl Box, in fair condition with much loss of the mother-of-pearl. The brass hardware is old but is not original. 31.5 x 18.5 x 16.5 inches, 80 x 47 x 42 cm.

Nepalese Rai Tribe Mask with Pigment. 10.75 inches, 27.5 cm.