Antique Persian Shahsevan Sumak Bagface, 19th Century

Antique Persian Shahsevan Sumak Bagface, 19th Century Using a saturated and subtly modulated medium-blue ground this large Shahsevan sumak bag face draws a creative reinterpretation...

Antique Persia Bakhtiari Sumak Bagface, 19th Century Flat woven bags executed in various sumak techniques were crucial items for Persian and Caucasian nomads as they traveled with t...

Antique Persian Qashqai Bagface Bag, 19th Century The drawing has remarkable clarity. An earlier generation of this design. Killer color, with deep aubergine and blue-green. Dimens...

Antique Persian Afshar Bagface Bag, 19th Century The design pool of pile rugs and bags from South Persia often conform to known groups of motifs, but the patterns seen here do not. ...

Antique Persian Baluch Bagface Bag, Late 19th Century Additional information: Dimension: 2'6" W x 2'6" L Condition: Good, minor moth damage. Origin: Persia Period: Late 19th Centur...

Antique Persian Afshar Bagface Bag, Late 19th Century This charming Afshar bag face uses rich saturated vegetable colors and soft glossy wool, with rows of alternating flowers and b...

This large, impressive nineteenth-century Ethiopian throne, from the Wollega Oromo culture, features a high, upright back-rest. An attractive cut-ou...

Stunning and rare Omani tribal necklace in gold and silver featuring eight Burgau thalers dated 1780. 19th century. Very good condition. Preserved and professionally framed. Dimensions of the necklace: 52 x 30 x 3 Dimensions of the frame: 70 x 47 x 5 Secure shipping. This fine Omani necklace of silver and gold comprises two strands of spiky, seed pod-like silver beads; gold-wrapped beads; eight silver Maria Theresa thaler coins; and a large silver and gold amulet box, with multiple chain tassels each of which finishes with a square-shaped pendant cut from sheet silver. The cigar-shaped amulet box called hirz would have contained some Koranic verse or religious text. Such a spectacular display of wealth would only have been worn at times of important festivities such as marriage celebrations. Maria Theresa thalers were made in Austria since the reign of Empress Maria Theresa of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The Empress died in 1780 and since that time, all thalers that were subsequently struck were minted with that date regardless of the actual year that they were produced. The coins achieved such a level of trust for their silver content (which is 83.3% silver) in the Middle East that neither the design not the date was varied, and so for more than 200 years the coins were used as an international currency among the tribes and the states of the Middle East, in much the same way as the Spanish dollar was used as an international currency at the time elsewhere. The thalers were used to complete most important transactions locally and were also given as dowries. They were also an important source of silver and were melted locally for jewellery. The coins made their way to the ports of the Red Sea, Egypt and northern Africa from the ports of Genoa, Trieste, Livorno and Marseille. European traders used the coins to buy precious materials from the Gulf and northern Africa which it desired – commodities such as spices, coffee, gum Arabic, indigo, pearls, and tortoise shell. The importance and the beauty of the coins saw them incorporated into local jewellery most particularly in Oman and Yemen. References Al-Jadir, S., Arab & Islamic Silver, Stacey International, 1981. Harrigan, P., ‘Tales of a Thaler’, Saudi Aramco World, January/February 2003. Hawley, R., Omani Silver, Longman, 1978. Hawley, R., Silver: The Traditional Art of Oman, Stacey International, 2000. Rajab, J.S., Silver Jewellery of Oman, Tareq Rajab Museum, 1998. Ransom, M., Silver Treasures from the Land of Sheba: Regional Yemeni Jewelry...

This is a very good example of a 19th century Zanzibar storage chest. The chest was created in the mid-19th century. The teak case is adorned with cut and open work brass strapping i...

This set of 3 pieces of African currency is very interesting. Looking like some sort of ancient maraca, these 19th century pieces jingle and noise-make with each step. The dimensions...

A very rare find this mid 19th century unique berber scarf, sublime natural dye colors.

Carved from a single piece of dense, heavy wood, this nineteenth-century Gurage low-set chair from Ethiopia exhibits an unusual, rare form. Consisting of a circular double-tiered seat with an angled, reclining back-support, the chair exhibits a deep glossy surface patina, particularly on the back-support and seat as a result of use. The chair is functional, and is reasonably comfortable to sit on. ‍Estimated Period: 19th Century Ex Private Family Collection, Addis Ababa...