I have seen weapons such as this one described as everything from ancient Roman, Celtic and Chinese to medieval and on and on. Though I have been unable to find much in the way of references, I am fairly certain that this spear and others like it are ceremonial polearms from the Qing Dynasty. They are most likely 18th or 19th century. They have crudely decorated brass collars between the socket and blade. This one and the three others I have listed are in good condition with no signs of repair...

I have seen weapons such as this one described as everything from ancient Roman, Celtic and Chinese to medieval and on and on. Though I have been unable to find much in the way of references, I am fairly certain that this spear and others like it are ceremonial polearms from the Qing Dynasty. They are most likely 18th or 19th century. They have crudely decorated brass collars between the socket and blade. This one and the three others I have listed are in good condition with no signs of repair...

A marvelous and very rare Victorian patchbox, the body carved from a single piece of ivory and the cut crystal lid enclosing a cameo incrustation (“sulphide”) depicting a pansy. A ribbon tied around the flower’s stem reads “a moi”. This is a clever play on words. The French word for pansy is “pensé”, which is very nearly the same word used to mean “thought”. So, when combined with the words on the ribbon, the sulphide expresses the sentiment “Thoughts of me”...

A phenomenal Victorian sterling silver soup ladle in Whiting’s “No. 26” pattern. The top of the handle features incredibly detailed peony foliage. The twist stem leads to the fluted and scalloped bowl. At the junction of the bowl and stem, a full-blown peony blossom is delicately engraved into the silver. The bowl is parcel gilt. “No. 26” is an extremely rare pattern. It is always very finely made and exceptionally heavy, even by Whiting’s standards...

A phenomenal Victorian sterling silver cheese scoop in Whiting’s “No. 26” pattern. The tip of the handle features a gorgeous full-blown peony blossom and bud. The twist stem leads to the deeply curled bowl. “No. 26” is an extremely rare pattern. It is always very finely made and exceptionally heavy, even by Whiting’s standards. The pattern is a multi-motif design, so each piece has a slightly different, but related, decoration on the handle...

A nice tin tray with tole floral decoration. The center is painted with a colorful bouquet including roses, tulips, peonies, lilies and ferns. The bouquet is surrounded by a foliate border, and the edges of the tray are highlighted with an orange-gold sand paint. The tray is handmade with soldered seams and rolled edges.

Origin: America, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent original paint. Size: 18-5/8” x 12-5/8” x 1-3/16”.

Elegant crystal trivet with a sterling silver overlay in an orchid pattern. The piercing of the silver is highlighted with engraved details. The center has a silver reserve that was never monogrammed. The side is hallmarked by Webster Silver Co.

Origin: America, ca. 1920. Condition: excellent, no chips or cracks. Size: 6” diameter.

NOTE: We have four matching trivets in this size. One of the four has an elegant monogram "K"...

Elegant crystal trivet with a sterling silver overlay in an orchid pattern. The piercing of the silver is highlighted with engraved details. The center has a silver reserve that was never monogrammed. The side is hallmarked by Webster Silver Co. This trivet is in the harder to find large size.

Origin: America, ca. 1920. Condition: excellent, no chips or cracks. Size: 8” diameter.

This lamp was made by the P & A Manufacturing Company of Waterbury, Connecticut.

Patented January 1890. What is unusual about this lamp is that it is a finger lamp, too. That is a safety feature.

This is an awesome ancient Persian sword with a bronze handle and iron blade. The iron blade is still largely intact and stable. It is truly incredible for an iron blade to last the nearly 3000 years since its manufacture in circa 900 BC. This exceptional piece is 46.7 cm in length. You can see the rivets in the handle where it is attached to the blade. This is an excellent opportunity to add a truly unique sword to your collection.

A 19th century English silver plated meat skewer. This large 14-1/4" skewer measures 1-1/8" across the beaded-edge loop; it has a Gothic B monogram and the pseudo hallmarks for an English silver plate company. This item is in excellent original condition with no scrapes, dents, corrosion, losses, damage or repairs other than a slight bend on the tip of the blade...

Large Repousse Gilded Bronze Standing Louhan, 19th Century

He is 18 inches (46 cm) tall, and 7 inches (18 cm) wide. He weighs 8.5 lb.

He is in good condition with no dents, repairs, cracks, or chips, except loss of gold and missing 2 nails near the bottom so his base is loose (as seen in the photos).

Large format photos available upon request.

Our Guarantee: We stand behind all of the items that we sell. That is to say, if you purchase an item from us an...

A beautiful sterling silver vase in the Art Nouveau taste by Shreve & Co. The sinuous trumpet form body is decorated with gorgeous applied silver iris blossoms and buds accented with engraved foliage. The body rises to a ruffled rim that mimics the curvy lines of the floral decoration. The foot is decorated at compass points with iris blossoms, their stems forming the rolled bottom edge. The bottom is hallmarked by Shreve & Co. with the post-1894 mark.

Origin: America, ca. 1900. Condition...

An elegant sterling silver soup ladle in Whiting’s 1890 “Old King” pattern. The shell and acanthus leaf design elements of the handle appeared in many flatware variations since the Georgian era, and has become an established classic for its restrained elegance. The bowl is parcel gilt for nice contrast. The back of the ladle is stamped with the retailer’s mark for Theodore B. Starr. Starr had agreements with several major silversmiths who provided the store with fine silver to which ...

A Large Tiffany Zodiac Bronze Inkwell. Signed "Tiffany Studios New York 1072". Dimensions; 6.5" across x 4" high. Original glass insert. Circa 1915. Some surface wear.

A very nice folding corner shelf of lacquered papier-mache with metallic decoration of Chinese court scenes. One wall shows ladies riding in a rickshaw while the other shows ladies strolling in a court garden with their guardian. The scalloped edge of the shelf is decorated with a gilt edge.

Origin: England, ca. 1840. Condition: excellent, no cracks, bright coloring. Size: 5” wide; 7-3/8” tall.

A beautiful Art Nouveau panel-cut crystal vase, the surface completely etched in a swirling design of flowers resembling columbines. The etching is highlighted with soft gilt details that bring out the depth of the pattern. The rim of the vase is finished in a sawtooth pattern derived from the shapes of the engraved blossoms. Although often attributed to Moser, this style of engraving with gilt highlights is typical of the Art Nouveau designs from the great Bohemian glasshouse Harrach. The q...

A beautiful pair of cut glass square bowls, the steep sides blown out into a scalloped shape. The bottoms are cut in Russian pattern, with the buttons cut in Harvard, diamond and a diamond variant. The sides are in panels of a Harvard variant, panels of Russian matching the bottoms, and panels of diamond. The panels are topped with flashed star cuts and are separated by columns of vertical fluting. The edge is finished with teeth. The cutting is very precise and extremely sharp, and the bow...

Japanese fukusa, a silk satin gift cover depicting the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove. The development of the Japanese fukusa is closely associated with their custom of gift giving. Japan has been a farming country until recently and crops were directly affected by nature (draft, floods, etc). The rituals were held within their own communities and fresh crops were offered to god. To irrigate and lay the roads, they needed the better their work relationship. The custom of eating and drink...

This is a very well preserved bronze sword or dagger from ancient Luristan (circa 1000BC). Overall this piece is in great condition. The flanges on the handle that would have held the inlaid bone,wood or ivory grip are mostly intact (except for one) which is fairly unusual for this type of weapon. This piece measures 353mm and weighs 135 grams. It has a choice, olive patina and no signs of repair.

This is an exceptional example of a bronze sword from ancient Luristan (circa 1000BC). It has a choice patina and is very clean overall. The handle would have been inlaid with bone, wood or ivory which is now long gone. Three original rivets remain in the handle and at least one of them moves freely back and forth without falling out. This sword measures 387mm and weighs 226 grams. The blade has a pronounced mid rib. It shows very little wear or damage. This is one of the finest examples of this...

This is a collection of 10 bronze arrow points, 5 iron spear or lance points, and one Roman iron lance point excavated in Europe. The bronze points likely date to around 300 BC, give or take a few centuries. The iron points probably date to between 200 AD and 1200 AD. These are good examples to add to your collection. Feel free to make an offer on one point or on the entire set, or on any combination in between.

A lovely Victorian sterling silver sugar sifter in Whiting’s 1882 “Antique Lily Engraved” pattern. The simply-shaped handle is decorated with bright-cut engraving of foliage with a spray of lilies-of-the-valley cascading across the end. The bowl is matte gilt and pierced in a pleasant design that does not compete with the restrained decoration of the handle. Sugar sifters were used to sprinkle sugar over fruit during the dessert service, and are not terribly common. The reverse has a p...

Antique Fukusa, a Japanese gift cover with a pair of cranes and pine Tree. This type of silk fukusa was used as a gift cover at the time of a gift-giving ceremony held prior to a wedding. This was one of the rare occasions that the recipients were expected to keep the fukusa as a gift since any return associated with a wedding was considered a bad omen.

The crane and pine trees are both regarded as the symbol of harmonious marriage and longevity in Japan. The design on this fukusa ...

This is a beautifully crafted souvenir spoon from San Francisco, pre-dating the Golden Gate Bridge.In the bowl of the spoon is the Golden Gate, with the Marin Headlands on the right and Fort Point on the left. There is sailing vessel in the water and a setting sun beyond the Golden Gate.

This spoon was made by Watson & Newell Company circa 1886-1895.

This sterling spoon also shows Mission Delores, 1849, mining tools on the face. On the reverse it shows State Capitol building, grapes, and...

An American Oak High Chair that Converts into a Stroller with the Release of a Locking Mechanism. Dimensions 36" high x 18" wide x 23" deep as high chair; 31" high x 18" wide x 30" deep as stroller. Circa 1890-1900. Very good condition.

A wonderful Victorian figural bank constructed of oak and decorated with punched and engraved brass appliqués. This is the only bank we've seen in the shape of a bank! The roof is pierced with two slots to insert coins. The bank retains the original lock, but the key is missing.

Origin: England, ca. 1870. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 5-3/8" x 3-1/2" x 5-3/8" tall.

Fukusa, Japanese Gift Cover, Pine, Bamboo and Plums on Fans: This type of fukusa is a covering placed over a gift at the time of a gift-giving ceremony such as "Yui-noh" which is held prior to a wedding. This is an elegant old satin silk Fukusa in excellent condition. It is not as shiny as it looks in photos. The lining is an old, red (light red color, not orange as it appears in some photos) crepe silk with padding on the rims. Exceptionally beautiful work of embroidery and silver couc...

This wonderful pair of lotus shoes are typical of boots from Shandong. They have a black cuff with hand-embroidered butterfly motif and the remanents of a thin pink woven band. The blue vamp is somewhat faded toward the front of the boot and has delicately embroidered butterfly on each side. The soles have worn leather heels. The inside silk lining is bright pink and in very good condition.

Very large antique Japanese bronze temple water dispenser with handles and spout in the form of peach tree branches, Meiji Period (1868-1912). Size: 29" high x 21" wide.

Relics of the Nile is pleased to present this interesting small, intact ushabti for your consideration. This ushabti remains in choice condition and displays the famous Ushabti style with partial back pillar and mummiform design. The facial features are still clear and display the royal Nemes headcloth and the hands crossed over the chest to hold the agriculatural crook and flail (to aid the deceased in their journey through the afterlife). This is a mold-made ushabti and was originally part ...

Relics of the Nile is pleased to present this interesting small, intact ushabti for your consideration. This ushabti remains fully intact and displays the famous Ushabti style with partial back pillar and mummiform design. The facial features are still clear and display the royal Nemes headcloth and the hands crossed over the chest to hold the agriculatural crook and flail (to aid the deceased in their journey through the afterlife). This piece also features a wonderful Osiride beard, which w...

Charming eggshell thin hand-painted scenic porcelain in excellent condition..makers mark on bottom of both cup and saucer

Elegant 19th C. chocolate or demitasse coffee pot by Shreve & Co. Measures 10 5/8" tall and 7 3/4" wide (including spout and handle). There are two ivory insets in the beautiful elongated handle. One side has an engraved stag's head. Marks on base include an "S" on each side of a bell, "Shreve & Co., Sterling, San Francisco". On close inspection, I noticed a small dent on the underside of the spout (near top). Otherwise, excellent condition, inside and out. Circa 1890.

Description:
A rare moonlight-tinted celadon statue of Bodhisattva was mold in beautiful features.
Holding in one hand with a string of rosary when another hand holding a purifying bottle, the Bodhisattva was clad with Song style clothing.
Applied with light-tinted celadon glaze, the surface of the figure was kept in very good condition when numerous bubbles were squeezed in the glaze.
Some pinpoint incursion were happened to the glaze when some burial coatings were preserved on...