Catalog: Vintage Arts: Regional Art: Asian (41)

Face mask, with a cylindrical coiffe presenting a small relief in its middle of what seems to be a head and raised arms surrounded by geometric design, with a protruding forehead, pierced through sunken eyes, long nose in relief, pierced through mouth showing teeth, long chin. Wood, with remnants of polychrome pigments, aged patina. China, Yao ethnic group, early 20th century. Height: 12 1/2" (32 cm). The mask is nicely mounted on a custom metal stand...

Statue of a protecting deity or ancestor, standing on slightly bent legs, its hands in praying posture, its face expressing agressiveness. Patinated and eroded wood. Nepal, early 20th century. Height: 15" (38 cm). The statue is mounted on a custom metal stand.

Superbly decorated very old bear skull, with typically Dayak incised designs all over its upper part. Beautiful partly encrusted patina. Indonesia, Borneo Island, Dayak Peoples. Length: 9" (22,7 cm), height: 3 1/4" (8,2 cm). Lower jaw and and a few teeth missing --- though these factors do not impair the rarity and beauty of the piece --- otherwise very good condition. A very rare ethnographic artifact. IMPORTANT: export to the European Community countries only.

Head of funerary statue or effigy, of minimalist shape. Weathered wood, with shell eyes. Indonesia, South Sulawesi, Toraja Peoples. Height: 12" (30 cm). The head is nicely mounted on a custom metal stand. Very good condition. NOTE 1: The Toraja have this particularly interesting tradition of carving in wood funerary images of the deceased. These figures are kept in galleries or balconies beside the coffins in which high-ranking or noble or wealthy people are buried...

Ritual spoon, its handle carved in the shape of a male ancestor wearing cap and bracelets on arms and legs. A very rare feature is that the ancestor is also wearing a Christian cross at the end of a long necklace. Indonesia, Flores Island. Height: 8 7/16" (21,5 cm). Old accident, restored locally, at the junction between the spoon and the handle, tiny chips, otherwise good condition. A truly rare piece.

Small statue of an ancestor or protecting deity, wearing a ceremonial cap, holding a sort of square box with both hands and standing on a rounded base. Wood, light brown patina. Indonesia, Moluccas Archipelago. Height: 13 1/2" (34 cm). Strong erosion and old accidents due to old age. Ex. Old French collection. A rare piece.

Fire lighting implement consisting of a piece of iron, pieces of fabric and a fragment of flint stone, the whole set being contained in a rattan box. This implement belonged formerly to a member of a tribe located in Palawan Island, South West of the Philipino Archipelago. Such tribe, like a few others in this island, has in some aspects remained in the Stone Age. It was put under the protection of the Philipino Government some 40 years ago. The closed box length is 7 5/8" (19,2 cm)...

Tattoo ink container of cylindrical shape decorated with a monkey in relief, in a rather aggressive posture, holding the container with its four paws. Wood, with a fine dark brown patina. The piece is nicely mounted on a custom plexi stand. Height (without stand): 6.5 cm. Old restoration on one of the limbs (almost invisible), otherwise very good condition.

Architectural element which was probably the top part of a household altar. This element --- which represents a protecting ancestor head surmounted by a symbolic coiffe --- is resting on a squarish base. The piece is made of wood with a nice age patina. Indonesia, Leti Island. Height: 57 cm. Partial loss on the top, erosion, otherwise very good condition...

Nicely carved statue of a fisherman standing on a rock, his face showing a large smile, holding a cane on which two fish are attached in his right hand, and his beard in his left hand. Bi-colored steatite. China, early 20th century. Height: 20 cm. Very tiny chips, otherwise very good condition. Provenance: old French collection. IMPORTANT: owing to the rather heavy weight of the piece, please consult us on the shipping cost.

Statue of an ancestor or deity designed for the protection of a household, standing in a praying posture, with a very expressive face. Wood, age patina. Nepal, early 20th century. Height: 4é cm. The piece is mounted on a custom metal stand. Age cracks, some erosion, otherwise very good condition.

Household protector made of wood, carved to represent two Janus type heads surmounted by horns. This protector was installed on top of a house roof. Beautiful age patina. Indonesia, Timor Island. Height: 26 cm. The piece is nicely mounted on a custom metal stand. Very good condition. NOTE/ The piece is heavy, so please consult us for the shipping cost.

Tobacco pipe of curved shape, with lavish geometric decor, its bowl in the shape of stylized lotus. Silver, fine darkish patina. Thailand, Northern Region, Lawa Peoples. Height: 14 cm. Very good condition. Collected in 1974 by its former owner.

Head of a funeral statue, carved from wood, in the typical aesthetic style of the Batak sculpture. Fine age patina. Indonesia, Sumatra Island, Batak ethnic group. Height: 30 cm. Obvious signs of wear and age, otherwise good condition. A rather scarce object.

Okimono nicely carved to represent a bearded dignitary standing, wearing formal attire. Ivory, fine patina. Japan, early 20th century. Height: 25 cm. Old accidents and restorations (see photos), otherwise good condition.

Tibetan snuff bottle of flat shape made of silver with a lavish embossed decor representing Tibetan Tantric Budhism deities, fistly Acala, one of the eight Dharmapalas holding a sword in his right hand on one side, and secondly one of the Dakinis on the other side. Each deity is gilt and backed by a flaming aureola surrounded by a floral design. Other parts of the bottle are partly gilt. The bottle also shows coral and turquoise inserts...

Finely carved chief sceptre with a genie sitting on its top, surmounting a squatting ancestor, under which are geometric relief designs leading to the lower part. Wood, with nice glossy patina. Old porcelain ball attached with a small cotton rope to the top of the genie's head. Indonesia, Borneo Island, Dayak ethnic group. Height: 38,.5 cm. The piece is nicely mounted on a custom stand. Very good condition. A rare piece.

Bi faced "ghurra" (churning rod holder) finely carved to represent a back to back, squatting, human couple, man opposite woman. Wood, with nice dark brown glossy patina. The ghurra was carved in Nepal, and is nicely mounted on a custom metal stand. Its height (without the stand) is 22.7 cm. Very good condition. NOTE: The ghurra is a tool which has been used for centuries by Nepali people for churning milk into butter...