Michael Backman Ltd
Malay Brassware  

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Two Malay Brass Water Jars & Lids
Sumatra/Malay Peninsula
late 19th century
Inventory no.: 321
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Malay Water Kettle for Hand Washing
Sumatra/Malay Peninsula
late 19th century
Inventory no.: 327
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Large Brass Gong (Tawak-tawak)
Sarawak (Malaysia) or Brunei
early 20th century or earlier
Inventory no.: 431
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Malay Water Container
Sumatra, Indonesia
late 19th century
Inventory no.: 328
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Water Kettle for Hand Washing
Sumatra/Borneo
late 19th century
Inventory no.: 551
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Large Brass Oil Jar
Padang Highlands, Sumatra, Indonesia
circa 1900
Inventory no.: 440
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Malay Brass Taza
Malay peninsula
late 19th century
Inventory no.: 333
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Engraved Malay Brass Betel or Tobacco Box
Malay Peninsula
19th century
Inventory no.: 314
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Water Kettle for Hand Washing
Brunei/Sabah/Sarawak
19th century
Inventory no.: 464
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Malay Brass Spittoon
Malaysia
19th-early 20th century
Inventory no.: 533
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Water Kettle for Hand Washing
Sumatra/Malay Peninsula
circa 1900
Inventory no.: 471
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Water Kettle for Hand Washing
Sumatra/Malay Peninsula
circa 1900
Inventory no.: 325
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Water Kettle for Hand Washing
Sumatra/Malay Peninsula
circa 1900
Inventory no.: 568
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Large Malay Brass Betel or Tobacco Box
Brunei or Malay Peninsula
19th century
Inventory no.: 313
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Brass Zoomorphic Water Container (Kendi)
Brunei/Sarawak
19th century
Inventory no.: 632
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Rare & Large White Brass (Tembaga Puteh) Wash Basin
Malaysia
19th century
Inventory no.: 18
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Malay Brass Rose Water Sprinkler
Northern Malaysia
18th century
Inventory no.: 96
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Water Kettle for Hand Washing
Brunei or Sarawak (Malaysia)
19th century
Inventory no.: 736
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Malay Brass Coconut Oil Container
Malaysia/Sumatra
late 19th century
Inventory no.: 751
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Large Zoomorphic Bronze Kettle
Sarawak/Brunei
circa 1920
Inventory no.: 803
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Silver-Inlaid Brass Betel Box
Brunei
19th century
Inventory no.: 839
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Engraved Brass Betel Box Set
Sumatra, Indonesia or Malaysia
19th century
Inventory no.: 855
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Malay Brass Water Kettle
Sumatra/Malay Peninsula
circa 1920
Inventory no.: 777
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Brass Malay/Minangkabau Cash Box
Minangkabau people, Sumatra, Indonesia
19th century
Inventory no.: 1122
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Brass Cannon (Lantaka)
Sarawak (Malaysia) or Brunei
18th-19th century
Inventory no.: 1159
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Malay or Minangkabau Cast Brass Kendi
Sumatra or Malaysia
19th century
Inventory no.: 1217
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Brass Jar
Malay or Iban, Sarawak (Malaysia) or Brunei
circa 1900
Inventory no.: 1268
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Zoomorphic Bronze Kettle
Sarawak or Brunei, Borneo
19th century
Inventory no.: 1285
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Zoomorphic Bronze Kettle
Sarawak or Brunei, Borneo
19th century
Inventory no.: 1286
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Brass Rice Measure (Gantang)
Brunei
dated 1899
Inventory no.: 1304
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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 Malaysia or Indonesia 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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Small Cast Brass Gong
Borneo, Malaysia/Brunei
19th century
Inventory no.: 1579
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Two Engraved Brass Betel or Tobacco Boxes
North Sumatra (probably Aceh), Indonesia
18th-19th century
Inventory no.: 1203
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