Pair of Silver-Gilt Filigree Earrings
La Alberca, Sierra de Francia, Salamanca, Spain
19th century
Inventory no.: 783
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Large Silver Nigerian Islamic Bowl
Nupe People, Central Nigeria
late 19th/early 20th century
Inventory no.: 61
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Rare Finely Carved Coconut Money Box with Silver
Mounts (Alcancia)
Spanish Colonial Guatemala
18th century
Inventory no.: 848
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Large Spanish Colonial Silver Platter
Mexico, Guatemala or Peru
18th century
diameter: 47cm
Inventory no.: 844
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Brass Spanish or Dutch Colonial Stirrups
Spanish South America or Dutch Suriname
17th-19th century
Inventory no.: 1085
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Spanish Colonial Tooled Leather & Wood Chest with Iron Fittings
Peru
late 17th century
Inventory no.: 1101
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Parcel-Gilt Silver Filigree Turkey-Form Incense Burner (Sahumador)
Peru, probably Ayucucho
19th century
Inventory no.: 1198
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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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