Our catalogue > Cabinet of Curosities

We don’t sell objects so much as stories with an object attached. So here are some of the more unusual, quirky objects that we have with interesting stories.

Each piece has been sourced from within the UK, often from old, colonial-era collections.

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6541

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Spectacular & Large Pair of Mongolian Silver Ear Ornaments or Temporals with Green Malachite & Coral

Khalkha People, Mongolia
19th-early 20th century

length: 32cm, combined weight: 312g

Available - Find out more

Provenance

private collection, Netherlands.

6495

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Ethiopian Noble Warrior’s Lion Mane Brocaded Cape & Crown with Gilded Silver Mounts (Lamd & Anfarro)

Ethiopia
1900 or earlier

cape's length: 97cm; crown's width: 19cm

Sold

Provenance

Scottish art market

6700

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Tibetan Rosary of Human Bone Beads (Mi Mgo’i Phreng Ba)

Tibet
19th century

length: approximately 54cm, weight: 96g

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Provenance

private collection, London, UK.

6699

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Exceptional & Rare Tibetan Rosary of Human Bone Beads (Mi Mgo’i Phreng Ba) inlaid with Semi-Precious Stones & Amber Beads

Tibet
18th-19th century

length: approximately 75cm, weight: 189g

Sold

Provenance

private collection, London, UK.

6714

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Rare Tibetan Rosary of Human Bone Beads (Mi Mgo’i Phreng Ba)

Tibet
19th century

length: approximately 60cm, weight: 99g

Sold

Provenance

private collection, London, UK.

6695

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Fine Bamboo Under-Vest for Qing & Qing-style Court Robes & Wedding Costumes

China & possibly Straits Settlements
circa 1900

width: approximately 47cm, length: 41cm

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Provenance

UK art market

3911

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Ifugao or Bontoc Wood, Rattan & Pig Tusk Armband (Baningal or Abkil)

Bontoc or Ifugao People, Northern Luzon, Philippines
19th–early 20th century

outer diameter: 11.2cm, height of the figure: 8.5cm, weight: 146g

Sold

Provenance

private European collection.

6521

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Andaman Islands Man’s Dance Regalia

Andaman Islands, possibly from the Jarawa Tribe, South Andaman
circa 1900

indicative length of headdress (band & tassels): 49cm

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Provenance

private collection, London. UK; previously, Charles Wilfred Hext (b.1880-1919)

4115

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Exceptional Collection of 18 Aztec Black-Clay, Tubular, Ear Plugs or Spools

Aztec Civilisation, Capilco, Mexico
14th-15th century

diameter: 2.1cm (smallest), 3.1cm (biggest)

Available - Find out more

Provenance

UK art market, prior to that Madrid, Spain from before 1974

6523

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Mongo Woven Woman’s Buttock Shield

Mongo People, Congo
early 20th century

length: approximately 98cm, width of pompom: 12cm, weight: 292g

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Provenance

private collection, London, UK.

6521

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Andaman Islands Man’s Dance Regalia

Andaman Islands, possibly from the Jarawa Tribe, South Andaman
circa 1900

indicative length of headdress (band & tassels): 49cm

Available - Find out more

Provenance

private collection, London. UK; previously, Charles Wilfred Hext (b.1880-1919)

4115

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Exceptional Collection of 18 Aztec Black-Clay, Tubular, Ear Plugs or Spools

Aztec Civilisation, Capilco, Mexico
14th-15th century

diameter: 2.1cm (smallest), 3.1cm (biggest)

Available - Find out more

Provenance

UK art market, prior to that Madrid, Spain from before 1974

5969

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Burmese Bronze Rice-Noodle Maker

Burma
19th century

height: 15.4cm, width: 22.5cm, depth: 11.4cm, weight: 2,410g

Available - Find out more

Provenance

European art market

5928

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Unusually Tall Ottoman Woman’s Mother-of-Pearl Inlaid Wooden Stilted Clogs (Qabqab)

Ottoman Turkey
19th or early 20th century

height to top of toe strap: 30cm, lengths: 22.8cm, widths: 18cm

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Provenance

UK art market

6386

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Burmese Royal Silk Achiek Cloth Sutra Cover

Burma (Myanmar)
19th century

70cm x 78cm

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5920

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Torzhok Gold Embroidered Goatskin Boots

Torzhok, Tver Gubernia, Russia
first half of the 19th century

heights: 39cm, lengths: 26.5cm

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Provenance

UK art market

6132

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Ceremonial Dayak Beaded Hat with Pig Tusks

Dayak People, Sarawak, Borneo, Malaysia
20th century

length: 29cm, width: 23cm, height: 9.5cm

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Provenance

UK art market

6123

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Important Indo-Portuguese Goa Seychelles Nut Vessel with Silver Mounts

Goa, India
circa 1750

height: 28.3cm, length: 32cm, width: 13.7cm, weight: 1.295g

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Provenance

UK art market

6144

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Colonial Spanish Powder Flask (Yesquero)

Colonial Spanish, Argentina
19th century

length: 7cm (not taking into account the curve), weight: 27.59g

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Provenance

UK art market

5710

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Dutch Colonial Surinamese Escaped African Slave (Maroons or Bushinengues) Wooden Stool

Maroon or Bushinengue People, Suriname, South America
19th-early 20th century

length: 40cm, height: 29cm, width: 23cm

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Provenance

private collection, London.

5471

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Gilded Silver Mounted Pectoral Reliquary Cross with Carved Steatite (Enkolpia)

Mount Athos, Macedonian Greece
15th century

total length of chain (circumference as worn): 72cm, length of cross (without coin): 7.3cm, thickness of cross: 1.1cm, weight: 97g

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Provenance

UK art market

3466

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English Tavern or Publican House Willow Nine-Pin Skittles Set

West Country, England
19th century

heights (approx.) 30cm each, and 40cm for the king pin

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Provenance

UK private collection

848

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Rare, Finely Carved Coconut Money Box with Silver Mounts (Alcancia)

Spanish Colonial Guatemala
18th century

height: 18cm, length: 19cm, weight: 437g

Available - Find out more

Provenance

European antiques market.

4676

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Rare, Brass Toad-Shaped Flask

Tibet
circa 18th century

height (with stopper): 37cm

Available - Find out more

Provenance

UK art market

2896

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Rare & Unusual Ostrich Egg & Walrus Tusk Indian Tea Caddy with Silver Mounts

Kutch, India
circa 1880

height: 25cm, weight: 785g

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Provenance

UK art market

4658

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Finely Carved South Indian Nut with Silver Mounts

South India, probably Madras
circa 1800

length: 10.2cm, weight: 108g

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Provenance

UK art market

4032

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Carved Coco-de-Mer Sufi Mendicant’s ‘Begging’ Bowl (Kashkul)

Northern India or Iran (Persia)
18th century

length: 28cm, width: 13cm, height: 10.5cm

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Provenance

UK art market.

3933

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Dayak Man’s Ear Ornament (Sabau) of Carved Hornbill Casque (Beak)

Kenyah/Kayan Dayak People, Sarawak, Borneo, Malaysia
19th-early 20th century

height: 4.6cm, length: 10cm, width: 4.2cm, weight: 26.36g

Available - Find out more

Provenance

Acquired in the UK, from the estate collection of Dr George Yuille Caldwell (1924-2016). Dr Caldwell, an English-born physician moved to Singapore in the 1950s, from where he built up a collection of mostly Borneo-related textiles and other ethnographica.

5089

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Rare Indian Coco-de-Mer Ewer

Northern India
Circa 17th century

height: 45cm, width: 25cm, thickness: 18cm, weight: 3,070g

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Provenance

UK art market

4313

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Eshu Dance Wrist Pendant

Yoruba People, Southern Egbado, Nigeria
19th century

height: 10.2cm

Available - Find out more

Provenance

private collection, London.

3285

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Tibetan Gold & Turquoise Official’s Pendant (Sochi)

Lhasa, Tibet
19th century

length: 11.2cm, weight: 11g

Available - Find out more

Provenance

private collection, London.

4274

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Woman’s Iron Pubic Cover (Cache Sexe)

Kirdi and Matakam People, North Cameroon
19th-early 20th century

length: 37.5cm

Available - Find out more

Provenance

private collection, UK