Indonesia - Boxes

"Pair of Lacquered wood boxes, China, 20th century" 6 cups each inside, perfect condition.

A fantastic pair of Chinese molded and glazed biscuit porcelain vases with leaping dragon fish or makara, late Qing dynasty, circa 1900. The vases of balu...

THIS IS FOR ONE LANTERN ONLY<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< In the tradition of marriage lanterns. Composed of four parts each. Finely enameled decorated borders with butterflies on a pr...

Beautiful walnut desktop box which opens into a writing slope. Decorated on the outside with 2 decorative inlaid tunbridge ware bands. Box opens out to a beige fabric writing slo...

Beautiful antique writing slope case. The chest is veneered with Macassar wood. Decorated with silver mounts. The interior is made of birdseed maple...

Wonderful writing box made from a tropical hardwood Fabulous shape and plain fluted carving. It gives it a modernist appearance Probably Sri Lankan 3 secret drawers* Replaced lea...

This is a Chinese hand-thrown ceramic provincial jar with a light celadon glaze which we date to the Ming period of the early 17th century or possibly earlier. The jar is hand potted...

A pair of early 20th Century (Republic Period) Chinese urn vases created in the traditional cloisonne method. The miniature vases features brass metal forms with a classic baluster shape. The surface has been exquisitely hand decorated in colored enamel with cherry blossoms and flower patterns growing out of a turquoise rock formation. Both come with their original wooden display stands...

A scarce fine quality antique silver-inlaid solid brass betel nut box (Lutuan), dating to the second half of the 19th / early 20th century, hand-crafted in Mindanao, Philippines. Boxes such as this were used to store the areca nut (also known as the betel nut) which would be wrapped in a betel leaf with lime paste and other ingredients, often tobacco, for chewing. Similar to the European tea caddy, these boxes often served as a way to impress while showing off ones wealth. Betel chewing was prevalent in the southern Philippines as in much of the rest of Southeast Asia. Wealthier Maranao families on Mindanao were able to afford elaborate silver-inlaid brass betel boxes such as this example. Such boxes were used to show off to guests and from which they were offered betel and the other component such as leaves and lime to make up the betel quid. Rare large size, most extant examples of such boxes tend to measure around 5 inches in length. At slightly more than 7.75 inches the example here is larger than most. The distinctive decorative box features a very heavy strong-box like rectangular shaped chest form with canted corners, copper handles, and a conforming hinged lid, lifting open to reveal an interior divided into three compartments covered by four hinged lids. Each of these doors is inlaid with silver in stylized orchid flower patterns. Exceptionally executed throughout, the arabesque silver inlaid exterior is decorated to the top with a large orchid motif within scrolling obid-obid (stylized rope) borders. The front, back and sides are inlaid with sets of stylized tail feathers of the sari-manok bird beneath which are unusual, highly stylized whimsical zoomorphic faces that appear like cat or tiger faces. (Such stylisation is accounted for by Southeast Asian Islamic preferences to avoid the overt and this potentially idolatrous representation of animal and human forms. Designs such as these are drawn from a local design repertoire that has its origins in wood carving. Although the spread of Islam in the Philippines began in the 14th century, mostly through the influence of Muslim merchants from the western Malay Archipelago, decorative arts in this design remain exceptionally rare. This lutuan represents a fine example of Islamic metalwork from the most eastern outreach of Islamic art and civilisation: Mindanao island being significantly further east than even China – artwork from Islamic Southeast Asia remains chronically under-represented in the world’s major collections of Islamic art. PROVENANCE / ACQUISITION Acquired from highly reputable auction house, Austin Auction Gallery, established 1983, Austin, Texas. References Brownrigg, H., Betel Cutters...

Large antique root basket from northern Sweden. The basket is woven with birch root around the 1880s and is unusually large. Good vintage condition with some minor marks and traces o...

This exquisite late Victorian sycamore writing or stationery box exemplifies exceptional craftsmanship. Adorned with ebony banding and intricate brass corner mounts, the box is finis...

A beautiful Japanese Satsuma vase, circa early-20th century, late 1930s-1940s, Japan. Colors include red, black, gold, yellow, white, burgundy, green, and flesh tones. No chip noted....