Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art (183)

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.

Joseon Dynasty Ton-kwe (Korean Coin Chest). Coin chests are highly prized by collectors, as their purpose required that they be the largest, heaviest, and most well constructed piece of furniture in the home of an aristocrat. Paper money did not exist in Yi Dynasty Korea, and the coins were of very small denominations. They had to be strung together in large quantities to have any worth, so a strong money box was obviously a necessity. This is a very heavy and likely the most impressive authentic antique Korean coin chest you will ever see for sale. This massive and handsome coin chest must have belonged to a very wealthy family. 19.5 x 56 x 29 inches, 49.5 x 142 x 74 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.

Garuda Mask from Sherdukpen, Arunachal Pradesh, 12.5 inches, 31.5 cm.

Nepalese Middle Hills Joker Mask. 9.25 inches 23.5 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.

Large Korean Antique Lacquered Sword with Painted Dragons. 58.5 inches, 148.5 cm.

Antique Onggi Jar for Preserving Seeds from Gyeongsang Province, with charming finger-painting designs. Height: 9 inches, 23 cm; Circumference: 34 inches, 86.25 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.

Tharu, Nepal Mask, collected by Eric Chazot, 11 inches, 28cm.

Nepalese Middle Hills Shaman Mask. 12 x 8.75 inches, 30.5 x 22 cm.

Phurba from Sikkim, 12.5 inches, 31.5 cm.

Black Lacquered Mother of Pearl Table. This is a low table used in ancestor worship rituals. The gorgeous peony flower is a symbol of abundance and wealth. The delightfully rendered dokkaebi goblins that adorn each leg are guardians that chase away evil spirits. The clouds are symbols of Heaven, and the plum blossoms are symbols of courage. As you can see in the photo, there is some loss to one of the dokkaebi goblins, but this table is in otherwise amazing and excellent condition. 25w x 13d x 11.75h inches, 63.5w x 33d x 30h 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.

Kukpa Mask from Sherdukpen, Arunachal Pradesh, collected by Eric Chazot, 7.5 inches, 19 cm.

Terai, Nepal Monkey Mask, 14 inches, 35.5 cm.

19th Century Korean Sword with missing scabbard. Condition is good but slightly shaky. Overall length is 35 inches (89cm), blade is 26 inches (66cm).

Nepalese Yak Hair Mask from the Humla Region. 8 inches, 20.5 cm.