Ivory and Gold Hair Comb
Zanzibar
circa 1800
Inventory no.: 65
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Silver Filigree Islamic Amulet Box with Agate & Silver Beads
Oman/Yemen
19th century
Inventory no.: 567
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Highly Unusual Sadashiva
(ex K.C. Aryan Collection)
Karnataka, India
17th-18th century
Inventory no.: 747
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Parcel-Gilt Silver Pomander with Rose-cut Diamonds, Sapphires & Malachite
West India or Sri Lanka (Ceylon)
19th century
Inventory no.: 746
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Michael Backman Ltd
Extraordinary Things
A selection of highlights from the Catalogue
Large Carved Citrine Pendant of a Qajar Prince (Possibly Ahmad Shah) set in Gold with Diamonds & Emeralds
Qajar Persia
circa 1900
Inventory no.: 841
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These Items are available - Ask about an item
Rare Finely Carved Coconut Money Box with Silver Mounts (Alcancia)
Spanish Colonial Guatemala
18th century
Inventory no.: 848
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Nine Polychrome Wooden Sculptures of a Musical & Dance Troupe
South India
late 19th century
Inventory no.: 903
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Tortoiseshell Betel Box with Engraved, Parcel-gilt Silver Mounts
Sri Lanka
late 18th century
Inventory no.: 1010
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Embroidered Sufi Cloak
Egypt
late 19th century
Inventory no.: 1107
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Four Piece Silver Chinese Export Tea & Coffee Service by Khecheong
China
circa 1840
Inventory no.: 1166
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Amboyna Burr Wood Betel Box with Silver Mounts
Dutch Colonial Batavia, Indonesia
18th century
Inventory no.: 1208
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Silver-gilt Filigree Casket
China or Batavia
circa 1750
Inventory no.: 1117
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Magnificent Carved Ebony Box
Sri Lanka
early 19th century
Inventory no.: 1100
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Cast Bronze Buddha
Ava, Burma
18th century
Inventory no.: 1274
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Silver 'Star Anise' Filigree Dutch Colonial Betel or Jewellery Box
Provenance: The Estate of HM Queen Juliana of The Netherlands
Batavia, Indonesia
circa 1760
Inventory no.: 1284
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Large Chased Silver Jewellery Casket
Kandy, Sri Lanka
circa 1870
Inventory no.: 1311
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Exceptional Bronze Hamsa Finial
South India
early 17th century
Inventory no.: 1406
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Mughal Brass Ewer, Engraved & with Dark Lac Inlay
Northern India (probably Lahore)
mid 17th to early 18th century
Inventory no.: 1302
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Exceptionally Rare Colonial Crocodile Ivory Snuff Container in the form of a Mestizo Woman, with Silver Mounts
Portuguese Goa, India
late 17th century
Inventory no.: 1390
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Two Very Rare Parcel-Gilded ‘Cadogan’ Style Copper & Silver Ritual Wine Ewers
Nepal
18th-19th century
Inventory no.: 1449
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Woven Cane Jewellery Basket with Engraved Silver
Mounts (Vel-pettiya)
Kandy, Sri Lanka
18th-19th century
Inventory no.: 1293
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Piha-kaetta Dagger with Ivory Handle, Parcel-Gilt Silver Mounts, & Scabbard
Kandy, Sri Lanka
18th century
Inventory no.: 1484
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Gilt & Mirrored Glass Lacquered Betel Box (Kun It)
Burma
19th century
Inventory no.: 1526
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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.
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Pair of Silver-Gilt Filigree Rosewater Sprinklers
China or Batavia
late 18th century
Provenance: Duke of Portland, KG, GCVO (Welbeck Abbey)
Inventory no.: 1542
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Scent Bottle comprising Hardstone Hookah Mouthpiece with Gold Mounts
North India or Ottoman Turkey & London
early 19th century or earlier with mounts circa 1860
Inventory no.: 1555
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Large Chased Silver Water Jug
Cutch, India
circa 1880
height: 28.5cm
Inventory no.: 1544
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Three Disciples of Buddha in Gilded, Lacquered Wood
Burma
19th century
Inventory no.: 1584
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Namban Lacquer Coffer made for Portuguese Market
Japan
1575-1615
Inventory no.: 1574
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Indo-Portuguese Silver Filigree Paan Box
Goa, India
17th century
Inventory no.: 1554
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