Pair of Silver-Gilt Filigree Rosewater Sprinklers
China or Batavia
late 18th century
Provenance: Duke of Portland, KG, GCVO (Welbeck Abbey)
Inventory no.: 1542 SOLD
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Large Christian Mother-of-Pearl Inlaid Rosewood Tray Showing St Peter's in Rome
Vietnam
19th century
Inventory no.: 1553 SOLD
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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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Brass Censor in the form of a Chimaera
Northern India (Sindh)
18th-19th century
Inventory no.: 1539 SOLD
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Epa (Elefon) Dance Headdress in the Form of a Female Chief
Yoruba, Nigeria
circa 1930s
Inventory no.: 1530
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- Each item on this page is for sale -
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Terracotta Funerary Tile (Huaxiangzhuan)of an Elephant & Elephant Tamer
China
Eastern Han Dynasty, 25-220 AD
Inventory no. 1563
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Gentleman’s Desk Smoking Ensemble with Lapis Lazuli & Mother-of-Pearl
Kashmir, India
circa 1910
Inventory no.: 1527
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Pair of Large White-ground Straits Chinese Plates
China for the Straits Settlements
circa 1890
Inventory no.: 1564 SOLD
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Gilt Bronze Image of Guang Mu Tian Wang or Virupaksha
Sino-Tibetan
18th century
Inventory no.: 1572 SOLD
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Fine Horn, Silver & Gold Filigree Tumbok Lada Dagger
Sumatra, Indonesia
19th century
Inventory no.: 1571 RESERVED
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Portuguese-Inspired Flemish or Vlaams Heart Pendant in Silver & Gold with Rose Cut Diamonds
Belgium, probably Antwerp
circa 1815
Inventory no.: 1562
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Tall, Superb Ancestor Chief Figure (Siraha Salawa)
North Nias, Indonesia
19th century
height: 71.5cm
Inventory no.: 1551
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Dagger (Tumbok Lada) with Parrot-shaped Horn Hilt
Malay, Malaysia
early 20th century
Inventory no.: 1538
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Dagger (Dha-hmyaung) with Silver Mounts & Carved Ivory Hilt
Burma
19th century
Inventory no.: 1448 SOLD
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Silver & Gold Kondakoora Hairpin/Brooch with Matara ‘Diamonds’
Coastal Regions, Sri Lanka
early 20th century
Inventory no.: 1439
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- Or click here to see all the items in the Michael Backman Ltd catalogue -
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Pair of Temple Banners in Chinese Silk Brocade
Mongolia
late 19th-early 20th century
Inventory no.: 1565 SOLD
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Female Ibeji Figure (Ere Ibeji)
Oshogbo Oyo Region, Yoruba people, Nigeria
circa 1920
Inventory no.: 1588
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Silver Document Holder by Grish Chunder Dutt & Sons
Calcutta, India
circa 1900
Inventory no.: 1585 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.
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