Chinese Woven Bamboo Foot Soldier's Helmet, c. 1800

Each of these pointed slippers, crafted of beautifully embroidered silk, were shaped to resemble a lotus bud and enhanced the diminutive shape of bound feet. A practice that began in the Tang dynasty and reached the height of its popularity during the Qing dynasty, foot binding was a painful process intended to make a woman's feet as small as possible by restricting bone growth from an early age. The smaller the feet the more attractive and erotic they were, giving elite women a mark of elegance and a distinctive - albeit tortured - gait of small, light steps. These beautifully preserved lotus slippers...

Centuries ago, a woven reed fisherman’s basket such as this would have been common in rural China as an everyday item, used until it became worn through. This 19th-century example re...

Bradley, Omar. A Soldier's Story. New York: Henry Holt, 1951. First edition. Signed and inscribed. Illustrated throughout with 55 maps and 17 black-and-white illustrations, including...

Stunning antique Civil War photograph of a gentleman in uniform holding a cane. Features three different tufts of hair, one of which is woven maki...