Michael Backman Ltd
Malay Brassware
Newsletter Sign-Up

To read an essay on whether Southeast Asian Islamic art is really Islamic art, click here.
And for an essay on Malay Brassware, click
here.
Two Malay Brass Water Jars & Lids
Sumatra/Malay Peninsular
late 19th century
Inventory no.: 321
More images & information
Malay Water Kettle for Hand Washing
Sumatra/Malay Peninsular
late 19th century
Inventory no.: 327
More images & information
Large Brass Gong (Tawak-tawak)
Sarawak (Malaysia) or Brunei
early 20th century or earlier
Inventory no.: 431
More images & information
Malay Water Container
Sumatra, Indonesia
late 19th century
Inventory no.: 328
More images & information
Water Kettle for Hand Washing
Sumatra/Borneo
late 19th century
Inventory no.: 551
More images & information
Large Brass Oil Jar
Padang Highlands, Sumatra, Indonesia
circa 1900
Inventory no.: 440
More images & information
Malay Brass Taza
Malay peninsular
late 19th century
Inventory no.: 333
More images & information
Engraved Malay Brass Betel or Tobacco Box
Malay Peninsular
19th century
Inventory no.: 314
More images & information
Water Kettle for Hand Washing
Brunei/Sabah/Sarawak
19th century
Inventory no.: 464
More images & information
Malay Brass Spittoon
Malaysia
19th-early 20th century
Inventory no.: 533
More images & information
Water Kettle for Hand Washing
Sumatra/Malay Peninsular
circa 1900
Inventory no.: 471
More images & information
Water Kettle for Hand Washing
Sumatra/Malay Peninsular
circa 1900
Inventory no.: 325
More images & information
Water Kettle for Hand Washing
Sumatra/Malay Peninsular
circa 1900
Inventory no.: 568
More images & information
Large Malay Brass Betel or Tobacco Box
Brunei or Malay Peninsular
19th century
Inventory no.: 313
More images & information
Brass Model of a Minangkabau
Cart and Buffalo
West Sumatra, Indonesia
circa 1900
Inventory no.: 320
More images & information
Brass Zoomorphic Water Container (Kendi)
Brunei/Sarawak
19th century
Inventory no.: 632
More images & information
Rare & Large White Brass (Tembaga Puteh) Wash Basin
Malaysia
19th century
Inventory no.: 18
More images & information
Malay Brass Rose Water Sprinkler
Northern Malaysia
18th century
Inventory no.: 96
More images & information
Islamic Water Kettle for Hand Washing
Brunei or Sarawak (Malaysia)
19th century
Inventory no.: 736
More images & information
Malay Brass Coconut Oil Container
Malaysia/Sumatra
late 19th century
Inventory no.: 751
More images & information
Large Zoomorphic Bronze Kettle
Sarawak/Brunei
circa 1920
Inventory no.: 803
More images & information
Silver-Inlaid Brass Betel Box
Brunei
19th century
Inventory no.: 839
More images & information
Engraved Brass Betel Box Set
Sumatra, Indonesia or Malaysia
19th century
Inventory no.: 855
More images & information
Malay Brass Water Kettle
Sumatra/Malay Peninsular
circa 1920
Inventory no.: 777
More images & information
Unusually Small Malay Brass Water Kettle
Sumatra/Malay Peninsular
19th century
Inventory no.: 936
More images & information


-  Or click here to see all the items in the Michael Backman Ltd catalogue  -
These Items are available - Ask about an item
Malay Brass Spittoon
Malaysia
19th century
Inventory no.: 959
More images & information
Unusual Malay Brass Jar Cast with
Buckles (
Pending)
Malaysia
18th-19th century
Inventory no.: 961
More images & information
Brass Malay/Minangkabau Cash Box
Minangkabau people, Sumatra, Indonesia
19th century
Inventory no.: 1122
More images & information
Brass Cannon (Lantaka)
Sarawak (Malaysia) or Brunei
18th-19th century
Inventory no.: 1159
More images & information
Malay or Minangkabau Cast Brass Kendi
Sumatra or Malaysia
19th century
Inventory no.: 1217
More images & information
Brass Jar
Malay or Iban, Sarawak (Malaysia) or Brunei
circa 1900
Inventory no.: 1268
More images & information
Zoomorphic Bronze Kettle
Sarawak or Brunei, Borneo
19th century
Inventory no.: 1285
More images & information
Zoomorphic Bronze Kettle
Sarawak or Brunei, Borneo
19th century
Inventory no.: 1286
More images & information
Brass Rice Measure (Gantang)
Brunei
dated 1899
Inventory no.: 1269
More images & information
Brass Rice Measure (Gantang)
Brunei
dated 1899
Inventory no.: 1304
More images & information
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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 Malaysia or Indonesia themselves 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.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________