Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art (180)

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.

Antique Onggi Water Jar (Muldok) from Gyeongsang Province with a beautiful dark brown color. 15.5w x 9h inches, 39.5w x 23 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.

19th Century Korean Black Lacquered Mirror Box with Mother-of-Pearl Inlay of a pair of cranes, representing longevity and marital bliss, and peaches of immortality and abundant and propitious floral and geometric patterns. As is usually the case, the mirror is replaced. 9 x 7.5 x 4.5 inches, 23 x 19 x 11.5 cm.

Rare 18th Century Chinese Helmet with Original Dragon Embroidery Intact. Height: 17 inches, 43 cm.

Bhutanese Bon Deity Kyung Mask of Papier Mache, 15 inches, 38 cm.

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.

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.

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.

Nepalese Middle Hills Joker Mask. 9.25 inches 23.5 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.

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.

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

Phurba from Sikkim, 12.5 inches, 31.5 cm.

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

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