Michael Backman Ltd
Antique Jewellery from Asia
(India, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, Tibet & the Himalayas, China)
Click here for Tribal Jewellery & here for North African & Middle Eastern Jewellery.


-  Or click here to see all the items in the Michael Backman Ltd catalogue  -
These Items are available - Ask about an item
Matara 'Diamond' Brooch with Gold & Silver Mounts
Sri Lanka
19th century
Inventory no.: 1187
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Silver Necklace
Pegu, Burma
circa 15th century
Inventory no.: 1466 SOLD
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From where do we source our items? We do not go on buying trips to Asia. Nor do we actively buy from dealers or suppliers based in Asia. We do not source items
from India itself for example. Almost all the items stocked by Michael Backman Ltd have been sourced from the UK - from old collections. Countless items were brought to
the UK during the colonial era by colonial administrators and the like. Other items were made in Asia for export to the UK – the UK was wealthy early: it has been a major
destination for the world’s exports for hundreds of years.  This means that most of our items have been in the UK for at least sixty to two hundred years.

The conditions in which they have been kept often has been very good – the climate is kind, and there are relatively few pests. Many items were acquired as keepsakes
and curios, meaning that they stopped being used once they came to the UK. This too has helped to preserve them and their conditions often are far better than had they
remained in their home countries. Buying from old UK sources means that the items have good provenance; it helps to avoid fakes, and items that have been amended or
embellished. It also means that our items are obtained legally – today, most countries in Asia prohibit the export of their antiques. So, because of its colonial past, the UK is
perhaps the world’s biggest source of genuine antiques from Asia, perhaps more so than Asia itself, and that is the source into which we tap.

All the items on this page are available for sale. We are based in central London, but sell to clients around the world.  Want to enquire about an item on this page?
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Gold Marriage Necklace Pendant (Kazhutthuru or Tali)
Nattukottai Chettiar Community, Tamil Nadu, India
late 19th century
Inventory no.: 1859
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Pair of Cone Shell Ear Ornaments
New Guinea
collected in 1859
Inventory no.: 1984
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Silver & Gold Brooch/Pendant Set with Matara ‘Diamonds’
Coastal Regions, Sri Lanka
19th century
Inventory no.: 2000
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Rare Pair of Gold Cuff Bracelets (Tigero Tedong)
Bugis People, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
19th century
Inventory no.: 2237
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Gold Filigree Bracelet (Galang Gadang)
Minangkabau People, West Sumatra, Indonesia
19th century
Inventory no.: 2238
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Silver & Wood ‘Pyramid’ Hairpin
Laos
late 19th-early 20th century
Inventory no.: 2373
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Silver Ring with Large Floral Bezel
Lucknow, India
18th century
Inventory no.: 2430
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Ruby-Set Gold Covered Sri Yantra to Adorn a Temple Statue
South India
circa 17th-18th century or earlier
Inventory no.: 2478
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Pair of Gold Earrings
China
Liao Dynasty, 10-12th century
Inventory no.: 2492
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Pair of Gold Earrings
China
Liao Dynasty, 10-12th century
Inventory no.: 2493
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Pair of Gilded Silver Dragon-Fish Shaped Earrings
China
Liao Dynasty, 10-12th century
Inventory no.: 2491
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Pair of Fine, Engraved Gilded-Silver Serpent Bracelets
China
Liao Dynasty, 10th century
Inventory no.: 2495 SOLD
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Pair of Fine, Engraved Gilded-Silver Bracelets
China
Liao Dynasty, 10-12th century
Inventory no.: 2496
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Gold Ring with Kirtimukha Faces & Set with a Garnet
Sri Lanka
19th-early 20th century
Inventory no.: 2341
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Rare Shiva-Parvati Double Rudraksha Necklace with Ruby-Inset Gold Mounts
South India
18th-19th century
Inventory no.: 2613
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Repousse Gold Emerald & Ruby-Set Temple Ear Ornaments
South India
18th-19th century
Inventory no.: 2611
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Repousse Gold Ruby-Set Temple Ear Ornaments
South India
18th-19th century
Inventory no.: 2610
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Silver, Coral & Turquoise Earrings (Along)
Tibet
late 19th century-early 20th century
Inventory no.: 2637
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Pair of Gold & Coral Ear Ornaments (Godwari or Mendog Kogde)
Sherpa People, Nepal-Tibet
19th century
Inventory no.: 2753
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Unusually Large Tortoiseshell Comb
Canton, China
first half of the 19th century
Inventory no.: 2785
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Gilded Bronze Belt Buckle Set with Wuzhu Coins
China
17th-18th century
Inventory no.: 2788
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Silver Brooch set with Matara ‘Diamonds’ & Coral
Southern Coastal Regions, Sri Lanka
circa 1900
Inventory no.: 2694
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Silver Hollow Kalli Anklets
Newar People, Nepal
early 20th century
Inventory no.: 2744
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‘Star Burst’ Brooch set with Matara ‘Diamonds’
Southern Coast, Sri Lanka
circa 1900
Inventory no.: 2695
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Unusual Brass Finger Ring Cast with Santa Claus' Sleigh & Reindeer
Kochin, Kerala, India
20th century
Inventory no.: 2993
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Pair of Silver Bangles
Palakkad Area, Kerala, South India
19th century
Inventory no.: 2982
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Parcel-Gilt Bazuband
Northern India
18th century
Inventory no.: 3227
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Pair of Silver Earrings
Southern China
19th-20th century
Inventory no.: 3254
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Pair of Silver Pendants
Southern China
19th-20th century
Inventory no.: 3255
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Rare Allegorical South American Emerald & Diamond Pendant
Spanish Colonial or Spain
18th century
Inventory no.: 3132
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Extremely Rare, Large Silver Bodice Piece set with Seventy-Four Large Table Cut Diamonds
Viceroyalty of New Spain, probably the Captaincy General of Guatemala
1680-1720
Inventory no.: 3614
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Cast Copper Alloy Talismanic Pendant (Taijanja)
Central Sulawesi, Indonesia
circa 18th century
Inventory no.: 3679
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Silver Filigree Ga’u Box with Turquoise & Coral
Western Tibet
late 19th century
Inventory no.: 3846
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Solid & Engraved Silver Bracelet
Hmong or Mien Peoples, Northern Thailand
19th century
Inventory no.: 3965
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Gem-Set Gilded & Silver Filigree Ear Plug Ornaments
Java, Indonesia
19th century
Inventory no.: 3958
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Silver Double Axe Pendant (Taka)
Central Flores, Eastern Indonesia
18th-19th century
Inventory no.: 3988
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Silver & Gilded Silver Braided Silver Wire Belt (Kamarpatti)
Maharashtra or Andhra Pradesh, India
19th century
Inventory no.: 4041
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Large Man’s Silver Ring set with Banded Onyx
Tibet
19th century
Inventory no.: 3961
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Pair of Silver Woman’s Ear Ornaments (Akota)
Saurashtra Peninsula, Gujarat, India
early 20th century
Inventory no.: 4164
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Bead & Bone Necklace or Girdle
Naga People, India/Burma
19th century
Inventory no.: 4259
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Glass Bead Necklace
Naga People, Burma/India
late 1940s
Inventory no.: 4232
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Rare Fossilised Palmwood (Pumtek) Bead Necklace
Pyu Kingdom, Burma, Chin People, Western Burma, &  Mizo People, Eastern India
circa 10th century
Inventory no.: 4256
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Bead Necklace
Naga People, India/Burma
19th century-early 20th century
Inventory no.: 4260
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Carved Shell, Glass & Wood Bead & Fossilised Palmwood (Pumtek) Necklace
Mizo People, Western India, or Naga People, Burma/India
circa 1900
Inventory no.: 4399
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Cast Brass Male Fertility Ring
Muria People, Bastar, Madhya Pradesh, India
18th-19th century
Inventory no.: 4261
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Cast Brass Male Fertility Ring
Muria People, Bastar, Madhya
Pradesh, India
18th-19th century
Inventory no.: 4265
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Gold & Turquoise Official’s Pendant (Sochi)
Lhasa, Tibet
19th century
Inventory no.: 3285
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Three Brass Jewellery Moulds
India
circa 19th century
Inventory no.: 4368
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Necklace of Rare Hollow Reeded Gold Beads
Pyu (present-day Burma)
5th-9th century
Inventory no.: 4499
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Gilded Silver Butterfly Hair Ornament set with Turquoise
Nepal or Eastern Tibet
18th-19th century
Inventory no.: 4404
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Gilded Clasp set with Turquoise & Coral
Tibet
19th century
Inventory no.: 4148
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Unusually Large Chased Silver Christian Cross
Sri Lanka
19th-early 20th century
Inventory no.: 4577
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Silver Double Axe Pendant (Taka)
Central Flores, Eastern Indonesia
18th-19th century
Inventory no.: 3987
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Chased Silver & Copper Ga’u Box set with a Coral Cabochon
Tibet
19th century
Inventory no.: 4129
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Pair of Man’s Solid Brass Spiral Ear Ornaments
Kenyah/Kayan Dayak People, Sarawak, Borneo
19th century
Inventory no.: 3945
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Two Amber Pointed Cylinder Ear Plugs
Kachin People, Burma
19th-early 20th century
Inventory no.: 4575
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Gilded Silver Garuda Pendant set with Turquoise, Pearls, Coral & Other Stones
Newar People, Kathmandu Valley, Nepal
18th-19th century
Inventory no.: 4403
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Brass Pinangpanga Linglingo Pendant
Bontoc People, Northern Luzon, Philippines
19th-20th century
Inventory no.: 3878
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Enamelled Gold Jadau Pendant Set with Diamonds & Pearls
Northern India
circa 1850
Inventory no.: 4615
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Flexible, Pierced, Silver Armlet (Bazuband)
Rajasthan, India
19th-early 20th century
Inventory no.: 4795
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Inscribed, Flexible Silver Armlet (Bazuband)
Rajasthan, India
19th-early 20th century
Inventory no.: 4568
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Flexible Silver Armlet (Bazuband)
Rajasthan, India
19th-early 20th century
Inventory no.: 4761
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Crescent-shaped Silver Bangle
India, probably Gujarat
19th century
Inventory no.: 4769
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Gold Wound-Wire Ring
Central Java, Indonesia
Protoclassic Period, AD200-700
Inventory no.: 1985
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Gold Earrings (Souri)
Tamil Nadu, India
19th century - early 20th century
Inventory no.: 4996 RESERVED
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Gold Tubular Earrings (Murikkilattam)
early 20th century
South India
Inventory no.: 4997 RESERVED
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Silver Amulet Box
Karnataka, India
19th century
Inventory no.: 4988
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Red Venetian Glass & Brass Bead Necklace
Andhra Pradesh, India
19th century
Inventory no.: 4863
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Yellow Venetian Glass & Brass Bead Necklace
Andhra Pradesh, India
19th century
Inventory no.: 4860
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Single Gold Ear Ornament (Thandatti)
Tamil Nadu, India
19th century
Inventory no.: 4994
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Single Gold Ear Ornament (Thandatti)
Tamil Nadu, India
19th century
Inventory no.: 4995
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Gold Makara Ring
Khmer/Cambodia
circa 15th century
Inventory 5000
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Silver Bead Necklace
Gujarat, India
19th-early 20th century
Inventory no.: 4798
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Pair of Man’s Solid Brass Spiral Ear Ornaments
Kenyah/Kayan Dayak People, Sarawak, Borneo
19th century
Inventory no.: 3944
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Strand of Rare Glass Beads & Gold Foil Beads
Mediterranean, India or perhaps Central Java, Indonesia
700-1000AD or earlier
Inventory no.: 3286
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Pair of Woman’s Silver & Turquoise Earrings
Central Tibet
19th century
Inventory no.: 4195
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Pair of Silver & Gold Woman’s Ear Ornaments (Akota)
Saurashtra Peninsula, Gujarat, India
early 20th century
Inventory no.: 4975
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Large, Splendid Silver Anklet (Milna Payal)
Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India
19th century
Inventory no.: 4947
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Silver Panelled Belt (Araipatti)
Tamil Nadu, South India
19th century
Inventory no.: 4913
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Unusual Double, Solid Silver Tiger Bracelet
Himachal Pradesh, India
early 20th century
Inventory no.: 4961
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Silver Bangle
Madhya Pradesh, India
early 20th century
Inventory no.: 4962
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Pair of Solid-Cast Silver Lion-Headed Bangles
India, either Rajasthan or Himachal Pradesh
early 20th century
Inventory no.: 4955
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