Michael Backman Ltd
Middle Eastern & African Islamic Art
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Large Islamic Amulet Container (Tcherot or Kitab) with
Rare Neo-Tifinagh Inscription
Tuareg people, North-West Africa
19th century
Inventory no.: 566
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Silver Lotus-Petal Dish
Turkey or Central Asia
18th-19th century
Inventory no.: 354
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Engraved Islamic Brass Water Kettle
Nupe People, Central Nigeria
early 20th century
Inventory no.: 532
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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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Gilded Silver & Blue Glass Ear Pendants
Islamic Katawaz Peoples Pakistan/Afghanistan
19th century
Inventory no.: 596
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Fine Silver Amulet Box with Filigree
Yemen
late 19th/early 20th century
Inventory no.: 580
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Tinned Copper Ewer & Basin
Ottoman Turkey
Signed & Dated AH 1248 (AD 1832)
Inventory no.: 356
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Glass Ewer
Shiraz, Persia
18th/19th century
Inventory no.: 230
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Koran Writing Boards (Lawh)
West Africa
19th-20th century
Inventory no.: 473
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Five Glazed Pottery Beehive Covers
Persia/Iran
first half of the 20th century
Inventory no.: 430
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Dish made for the Islamic Indian Market
China
dated 1821
Inventory no.: 526
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Silver Hookah Mouthpiece
Ottoman empire
19th century
Inventory no.: 60
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Two Silver Zarfs
Ottoman
late 19th century
Inventory no.: 67
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Fine Lacquer Silver-mounted Album
Late Qajar Iran
circa 1920
Inventory no.: 66
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Eleven Silver Zarfs
Egypt/Ottoman
circa 1890
Inventory no.: 630
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Silver Filigree Islamic Amulet Box with Agate & Silver Beads
Oman/Yemen
19th century
Inventory no.: 567
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Qajar Openwork Brass Incense Burner & Cover
Iran
19th century
Inventory no.: 674
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Pair of Silver Benagir bu Shoka Bracelets
Oman
circa 1850
Inventory no.: 681
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Pair of Silver-Gilt Filigree Earrings
La Alberca, Sierra de Francia, Salamanca, Spain
19th century
Inventory no.: 783
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Polychrome Silver Lacquer Papier Mache Document Holder
Ottoman Turkey
19th century
Inventory no.: 70
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Sufi Flagellant’s Whip
Persia/Iran
circa 1930
Inventory no.: 853
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Silver & Copper Inlaid Brass Spittoon
Egypt or Syria
circa 1910
Inventory no.: 852
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Large Sufi Dervish Coco-de-Mer Begging Bowl (Kashkul)
Persia or Northern India
18th-19th century
Inventory no.: 865
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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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Engraved Ottoman Silver Beaker
Ottoman Turkey
circa late 19th century
Inventory no.: 943
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Two Silver Fibulae (Cloak Clasps)
Draa Vallery, Central Morocco
19th century (one dated 1299 AH or 1882 AD)
Inventory no.: 954
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Silver Repoussed Hamam Bowl
Anatolia, Turkey
circa 1850
Inventory no.: 964
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Engraved Silver-gilt Amulet & Chain
Ottoman Turkey
19th century
Inventory no.: 999
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Silver Khanjar & Scabbard
Wahabi, Saudi Arabia
19th century
Inventory no.: 980
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Repoussed Silver Hammam Bowl
Algeria
19th century
Inventory no.: 946
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Repoussed Silver Hammam Bowl
Algeria
19th century
Inventory no.: 945
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Embroidered Sufi Cloak
Egypt
late 19th century
Inventory no.: 1107
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Gold Talismanic Upper Armband (Bazuband)
Northern India or Persia
18th-19th century
Inventory no.: 1092
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Fine Marquetry Khatamkari-work Mirror Box with Silver Mounts
Qajar Persia (Iran)
early 19th century
Inventory no.: 1082
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Hispano-Moresque Bronze Mortar
Andalusian Spain
circa 13th-14th century
Inventory no.: 1076
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Pair of Silver Anklets with Coral & Enamel
Berber people, Great Kabylia, Algeria
circa 1920
Inventory no.: 1064
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Gold & Silver ‘Moon & Sun’ Bracelet
North-West Morocco
19th century
Inventory no.: 1161
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Gold, Silver & Enamel ‘Moon & Sun’ Bracelet
North-West Morocco
19th century
Inventory no.: 1162
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Calligraphic (Tulisan Arab) Batik
Cirebon, Java, Indonesia
19th century
dimensions: 95 x 92cm
Inventory no.: 1145
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Turquoise & Mother-of-Pearl Inlaid Wooden Roasted Coffee Bean
Cooling Platter (Mabradeh)
Black Sea region, Turkey
circa late 19th century
Inventory no.: 1080
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A Pair of Engraved & Open-work Silver with Glass & Enamel Cloak Fasteners (Fibula)
Berber People, Western Anti-Atlas, Morocco
early 19th century
Inventory no.: 1070
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Large Engraved Brass Bowl & Cover
(Islamic) Nupe People, Nigeria
19th century
Inventory no.: 1226
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Brass Mamluk-style Charger in the form of a Nuremberg Collection Plate
Syria or Balkans
circa 17th-18th century
Inventory no.: 993
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Pair of Heavy, Solid Cast Bracelets
Tuareg People, Niger
19th century
Inventory no.: 1349
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Click here to see Ottoman & Turkish Art
Click here to see Mughal & Islamic Indian Art
Click here to see the Islamic Art of Southeast Asia
Click here to see Ottoman & Turkish Art
Click here to see Mughal & Islamic Indian Art
Click here to see the Islamic Art of Southeast Asia
Ivory and Gold Hair Comb
Zanzibar
circa 1800
Inventory no.: 65
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Gold Overlaid Calligrapher’s Scissors
Ottoman Turkey
19th century
Inventory no.: 1452
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Calligraphic Wooden Door Lintel
Stone Town, Zanzibar
19th century
Inventory no.: 1488
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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 northern Africa and India 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.
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