Michael Backman

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Michael Backman

Asian, Colonial & Tribal Antiques Gallery in central London, UK. All stock is sourced from old British and European collections.
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Michael Backman Ltd, based in central London, just off Regent Street, has a large range of museum-quality Indian, Southeast Asian, Himalayan & other Asian antiques and decorative arts, as well as colonial and tribal antiques. We have sold around 100 items to around 20 international museums in the last five years, including to the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, the British Library and the Natio

nal Gallery of Australia. We sell to collectors worldwide too. We ship worldwide - in fact most clients are outside the UK, particularly in the US, Europe and Singapore. The website is very comprehensive and always up-to-date. Clients receive a monthly catalogue by email so that they are alerted to new stock as it arrives. There are almost 8,000 recipients of the emailed monthly catalogue worldwide.

01/10/2024

We have just added a short photo essay on a special temporary exhibition on 17th-18th century luxury goods produced in Asia for the English market, currently on at Burghley House, in the East Midlands of England. The house is one of the England's greatest Elizabethan houses, and the exhibition is superb. Read more here:
www.michaelbackmanltd.com/exotic-luxury-goods-burghley-house-england/

01/10/2024

This ornament, which is available, is of silver with a mid section of either gold or gilt which includes a box setting for a splendid, old coral cabochon, was worn on the front of the head by Tibetan women in the Derge and Chamdo areas. Known as a Melong Pongu or a Metok, it dated to the late 19th century or early 20th century. (diameter: 4.9cm, depth: 2.2cm, weight: 28g)

The coral cabochon rises high above its mounts and is fixed into its setting with resin and via a silver pin through the middle of the coral.

The reverse of the ornament has a gilded loop which allowed the ornament to be fixed to the hair. Today it would allow the ornament to be worn as a pendant.

Known either as a melong pongu or metok, the form is based on a flower – perhaps a marigold – and is edged with pearled silver wire.

On festival days, ladies might wear an additional one at the back of the head and that the two would be joined by a string of turquoise and silver beads.

The example here is in excellent condition.

26/09/2024

This beautiful gold oval-shaped pendant is available. From early 20th century Bangkok, Thailand, it has a raised diamond star-burst form set with many faceted black diamonds. The pendant is suspended from a gold loop through which a chain could pass. The loop itself is set with a diamond. (length: 3.6cm, width: 2cm)

Such pendants were made in Bangkok in the 19th and early 20th centuries and were based on the jewellery that was worn in the Bangkok court. Indeed, many such pieces would have been made for minor royals of whom there were many on account of the extraordinary polygamy of the primary court. Mid-19th century Siamese court dress for ladies was elegant but simple which was perfect for the addition of complex, gem studded brooches, necklaces and pendants.

The Chakri Dynasty kings were very influenced by European fashions and this flowed through to dress and jewellery. The enormous prestige of the Chakri Dynasty saw these influences emulated by the rest of the upper echelons of Bangkok society.

Black or carbonado diamonds are found in Borneo in Asia. Larger quantities are found in Africa and Brazil.

The pendant is in perfect condition. All stones are present, and there are no repairs. The pendant is particularly beautiful and very wearable.

24/09/2024

Our exciting monthly catalogue for September 2024 is available now on our website. More than 30 fine, ethnographic items are included.
See them all here:
www.michaelbackmanltd.com/monthly_catalogue/september2024/

Included are items from China, India, Tibet, Burma (Myanmar), Singapore/Malaysia, Brunei (Malay), Indonesia (Peranakan), Philippines, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Angola, Morocco, Ottoman Armenia & Saudi Arabia.

www.michaelbackmanltd.com

24/09/2024

This extraordinary vessel which is available was made in either China or Mongolia in the early 20th century as an elaborate presentation piece. Made from solid silver that has been cast, hammered, chased and engraved, it incorporates earlier elements of carved jade and agate, and has been inlaid with coral and turquoise cabochons. (height: approximately 32cm, width: 16cm, weight: 1,418g)

The form, and much of the chased decoration, is based on an archaic bronze wine vessel and cover from China’s Warring States period. Such vessels were being unearthed in China and the designs and motifs were much copied on contemporary vessels.

The vessel stands on four long, agate feet, has a spherical body, a short spout of carved agate, and a domed lid surmounted by a carved jade phoenix. Each side of the body is set with a large, carved plaque of a mythical beast amid leafy scrolls.

But most striking of all are the legs. These are actually repurposed agate or carnelian cheroot or cigarette holders probably from Yunnan. See an example here. Several of them still have the remnants of to***co smoke staining inside. Each of these is capped on the base with a silver roundel.

Decorative objects such as this, as well as jewellery, were produced in China in the early 20th century perhaps in the aftermath of the fall of the Qing Dynasty. At that time, court silversmiths and jewellers no longer were required, and thousands of officials attached to the Court sold off their jewellery, much of which was used as part of Court dress. This created a large, secondary market in repurposed gems and jewellery, as well as items that could be broken down and reassembled into jewellery and decorative objects more suitable for foreign tastes.

22/09/2024

Our next monthly catalogue - for September - will be available this coming Tuesday, and will include more than 30 new items of material world culture. Receive our catalogue alerts here if you don't receive them already:
www.michaelbackmanltd.com/about-us/monthly-catalogue-sign-up/
Be among the first to see all our fine, new additions!

Included will be this silver tea set from Kashmir, India.

www.michaelbackmanltd.com

22/09/2024

This extraordinary, complete set of an Andamanese man’s dance regalia is available. It dates to around 1900 and comprises a headband, a waist or neck band, a pair or armlets and a pair of legbands. (The Andaman Islands are in the southeastern part of the Bay of Bengal and today are considered part of India but in fact are closer to Southeast Asia.) Most probably the set is from the Jarawa Tribe, South Andaman.

The set came from the collection of Major Charles Wilfred Hext, who died at Raz-el-tin Military Hospital, Alexandria, Egypt, on July 21st 1919. He was born in India and served in the Indian colonial army, which is presumably how he acquired the Andamanese set.

Each element is made of multiple dried pandanus leaves suspended from a tightly woven band. The major bands have been decorated with geometric motifs in a thickly-applied red ochre probably mixed with wax, and several items are further decorated with suspended bivalve seashells.

The items were worn by senior men for ritual dance on dancing grounds known as bulum. Leaf bracelets, according to Man (1882) were known as togo chonga, leaf anklets or legbands were known as ta chonga, and the leaf headdress was called a iji-gonga.

21/09/2024

Our next monthly catalogue - for September - will be available this coming Tuesday, and will include more than 30 new items of material world culture. Receive our catalogue alerts here if you don't receive them already:
www.michaelbackmanltd.com/about-us/monthly-catalogue-sign-up/
Be among the first to see all our fine, new additions!

Included will be this rare pair of mother-of-pearl inlaid bath clogs from Ottoman Armenia.

www.michaelbackmanltd.com

21/09/2024

Our next monthly catalogue - for September - will be available this coming Tuesday, and will include more than 30 new items of material world culture. Receive our catalogue alerts here if you don't receive them already:
www.michaelbackmanltd.com/about-us/monthly-catalogue-sign-up/
Be among the first to see all our fine, new additions!

Included will be this exceptional, large turquoise, gold and silver hair bead from Tibet.

www.michaelbackmanltd.com

21/09/2024

Our next monthly catalogue - for September - will be available this coming Tuesday, and will include more than 30 new items of material world culture. Receive our catalogue alerts here if you don't receive them already:
www.michaelbackmanltd.com/about-us/monthly-catalogue-sign-up/
Be among the first to see all our fine, new additions!
Included will be this beaded betel shoulder bag for betel, from Timor.

www.michaelbackmanltd.com

21/09/2024

Our next monthly catalogue - for September - will be available this coming Tuesday, and will include more than 30 new items of material world culture. Receive our catalogue alerts here if you don't receive them already:
www.michaelbackmanltd.com/about-us/monthly-catalogue-sign-up/
Be among the first to see all our fine, new additions!

Included will the be this rare betel, silver-inlaid waist ornament from Mindanao, the Philippines.

www.michaelbackmanltd.com

19/09/2024

Baule brass necklaces from the Ivory Coast abound but this example, which is available, is the finest we have seen. (circumference: approximately 81cm, weight: 184g)

All the elements are well cast and some are particularly fine. The round elements cast with fine concentric circles are wafer thin for example. These are said to represent the setting sun.

Such necklace components are cast using the lost wax method, with fine, waxed threads being used to cast the delicate designs on the pieces.

Such necklaces were worn by high-ranking Baule women, though the material culture, jewellery and casting methods and designs of the Baule are closely related to the nearby Akan and Asante peoples.

Similar examples were made in gold but these were reserved for royal household members. Brass examples were permitted to non-royals.

08/09/2024

Traditional bread making in Morocco.
_______________________________________________

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝘂𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆: 𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗻@𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗲𝗹𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗹𝘁𝗱.𝗰𝗼𝗺

𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 & 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗹𝘆 𝗲-𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀. 𝗪𝗲𝗯𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝗶𝗼.

𝘄𝘄𝘄.𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗲𝗹𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗹𝘁𝗱.𝗰𝗼𝗺
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08/09/2024

This splendid box, which is available and in excellent condition, comprises agate panels held together with chased silver mounts. It is from India, probably the Deccan and possibly Goa, and dating to around 1700. (height: 13.3cm, length: 14cm, depth: 10.1cm, weight: 1,127g)

Each side, including the base, is of a large, flat piece of agate (or possibly closely related sardonyx which has been mined in India for thousands of years), and each side is bordered with silver mounts that have been chased and engraved with birds, cows, and mythical composite animals amid sinuous foliate scrollwork and against a tooled background. A figure of a man appears on one side. The figure could be that of a European or an Indian but in any event is in the process of firing an arrow from a bow.

The silverwork has some parallels with that seen on Goa silverwork but also the form of the animals and foliage is near-identical to that seen on a copper box attributed to the end of the 16th century, Deccan, in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

The box sits on four solid-cast and chiselled silver feet. The lid is hinged and retains two original exterior silver chains on either side which support the weight of the lid when it is open. There is a hinged and engraved silver latch which would have allowed the box to be locked. In keeping with the opulence of the box, the underside is set with agate and with silver mounts that also are chased but this time with broad foliate scrollwork which is also seen on 17th century Deccan and Goa work.

In excellent condition, the box has been illuminated here to best show the agate.

07/09/2024

This Tibetan ta***ic ritual vajra dagger, which is available, is known as a phurba (also spelt purba and phurpa) is of carved wood. It retains its original 19th century painted decoration – including blue, green, red, cream and gold paint. (length: 30.8cm, width: approximately 6.8cm, weight: 217g)

It is of typical form with three sides – three heads on the handle and three sides to the blade.

The (blue) blade emerges from the mouth of a makara. Each of the three sides of the blade is decorated with a pair of green, entwined snakes or nagas. Two of thre three blade sides have been inscribed in gold paint with lantsa or some related script.

The mid-section is carved with two symbolic knots (one in red, the other green). The handle is carved with three faces of a wrathful deity, possibly Mahakala – one blue, one red and one cream.

Purbas were used to ritually assault the enemy. Uusually, phurbas – which started out as ritual instruments – became centre of a cult all of its own in Tibet.

***ic

06/09/2024

This splendid full-length dress, which is available, is known as a thobe (also spelt thawb). It is from the Bani Malik Tribe in Saudi Arabia’s south, mid 20th century. (length: 130cm, weight: 1,319g)

Elaborate embroidery characterised the dress of the female members of the Tribe, and this example is among the most elaborate that we have seen.

The entire cotton fabric thobe is densely embroidered front and back with bright yellow, red and cream thread, other than the black underarm gussets (tikrasah). The bodice panel (badanah) is embroidered with a motif suggestive of a necklace with pendant strands – perhaps this was added in place of actual jewellery. From each shoulder are multiple long strands of pure-white glass beads known as khuruyan. These hang down grandly almost like military epaulettes and are suspended from panels of beads arranged in geometric panels.

The sleeves are in trapezoid form and the neck opening is rounded and closes with a zip.

‘Bani Malik’ (or ‘Sons of Malik’) is one of the major Arab tribes on the Arabian Peninsula and claim to be the descendants of Malik al-Ashtar al-Nakh’ei who fought alongside Ali ibn Abi Talib, the cousin of the Prophet Muhammad. The tribe is from Sarawiyah, which is east of Al Lith and south of Taif, between the areas occupied by the Bal Harith Tribe and the Zahran Tribe. Traditionally, the area had buzzing markets where livestock, grain, honey and other goods were traded. This explains the exuberance of Bani Malik Tribe costume – trade meant wealth to afford the costly embellishments but trade also meant that the embellishments – the beads and the brightly-coloured thread – was available.

04/09/2024

This spectacular silver bracelet from early 20th century Madhya Pradesh, India, is available. (external diameter: 10.6cm, internal diameter: 6.5cm, weight: 290g)

It is of thick gauge silver but is hollow. The hoop is decorated with two bands of tiny spheres that are pieced all the way through. The ridge between the two bands is chased with a band of geometric motifs. The ends terminate with heavy, applied granulation work.

Traditionally, such bangles were worn by women in rural communities in Madhya Pradesh.

The bangle is stable and wearable.

03/09/2024

This large and impressive belt from the Bedouins of Saudi Arabia and Yemen is available. (approx. circumference: 70cm, height: 7.4cm, weight: 1,181g)

It comprises 14 wide silver panels decorated with applied silver granulation work, silver plaques, seven large carnelian (agate) cabochons in silver box settings, and 15 applied silver coins. The coins are riyals from Saudi Arabia. The belt dates to the first half of the 20th century.

Thick, cream cotton calico has been threaded through each of the panels, which holds them together and giving the belt structure.

The belt opens at the front with a long, pull-out pin attached to the belt by means of a heavy silver chain.

According to the author and researcher Marjorie Ransom, the belt is likely to be the work of Yemeni Jewish silversmiths who lived in Habban, Shabwa Province in Yemen until the late 1940s.

This is an impressive belt with no losses or repairs.

01/09/2024

This beautiful, refined and wearable Hindu pilgrim’s necklace from late 19th century Rajasthan and showing Krishna and Radha is available. (total length of necklace: 60cm, dimensions of amulet: 4.5cm x 6cm, overall weight: 187g)

It comprises a large central amulet pendant suspended on what is probably an original multi-strand, orange and red cord, along with twelve smaller silver boxes and two fine silver conical end beads.

The necklace is from Rajasthan and dates to the 19th century.

The amulet box is encased in sheet silver that has been finely engraved on the front. Two eyelets at the top allow for suspension. The sides and lower edge of the box have been cast with multiple silver granulations of emulate gajre work.

The front of the amulet has a coloured picture of Krishna and Radha in a Rajput-style cusped arch, and beneath a thin sheet of glass.

The reverse of the amulet is enclosed with plain sheet silver.

The accompanying twelve silver boxes are each suspended from the necklace with two eyelets decorated with a flower form.

Such a necklace most probably was acquired from the environs of a temple by a pilgrim and worn thereafter as a keepsake.

Artists across Rajasthan produced miniature paintings from the 18th to the early 20th centuries, for pilgrims to temples. Many such paintings were incorporated into silver jewellery to provide adherents with a protective talisman that they could wear.

The necklace and components have a splendid patina; its contours have been worn smooth by wear, age and handling.

29/08/2024

This superbly-cast betel cutter from West India, probably Maharashtra, 18th-19th century, is available. (length: 9.7cm, width: 6.2cm, weight: 229g)

Most betel cutters or slicers are utilitarian and perfunctory in their manufacture and decoration, but this example is particularly refined. It has been cast using the lost wax process. The casting can be seen in the tradition of the casting of Indian devotional bronzes. It comprises two lovers, each making up an arm of the cutter. The two halves are rivetted together to allow a pincer movement and there is a small iron blade between them designed to slice the areca nut used in the betel or paan quid.

The left arm of the cutter is in the form of a young, voluptuous women and the right arm comprises a young man with a turban. The woman has a parrot on her right shoulder. The man’s right hand reaches around the woman’s back and grasps her right breast. His other hand moves as the cutter opens and closes and so moves in and out to grasp her left breast. The erotic nature of the scene is matched by the ph***ic terminals for each arm of the cutter. In this way, the cutter can be seen to be in the Maithuna tradition – Maithuna being the Sanskrit term for sexual in*******se within Ta***ic practice.

Each of the figures wears a striped dhoti as well as earrings and other jewellery. The woman wears down her back a long and elegant hair plait that has been decorated beautifully with flowers.

It might seem odd for a betel cutter to be of such a suggestive form, but in India, as in many part of Southeast Asia, betel or paan is symbolic of fertility and used in wedding rites, as well as being a common, mild social stimulant routinely chewed on a daily basis.

29/08/2024

This large and fine necklace from early 20th century Yemen, possibly Haraz, is available. (circumference: 79cm, length of main pendant: 13.9cm, weight: 473g)

It comprises silver-alloy elements and strands of hundreds of tiny natural coral beads mixed in with some coral-coloured trade glass beads.

It includes an enclosed, large, cylindrical talismanic hirz amulet box, which is decorated on both sides with applied silver plaques embossed to emulate granulation work, and six pairs of suspended chains and bell terminals.

The necklace itself comprises six silver hollow beads similarly decorated with granulated triangular plaques, and two cone-shaped finials similarly decorated.

Such jewellery was typically made by a small community of local Jewish silversmiths for local Bedouin clients.

The necklace here is complete, stable and wearable.

28/08/2024

This silver spittoon or cuspidor from early 20th century Cambodia is available. (height: 11.9cm, width: 10.3cm, weight: 254g)

It is of baluster form with a wide mouth and a wide, flared foot, is chased all over with spiky flower and foliage motifs interspersed with four figures from the Cambodian Ramayana known as the Reamker. Most probably the figures represent Rama (in Cambodian: Preah Ream), Sita (Neang Seda), and two monkey warriors for the army of Hanuman, the monkey general. The figures are in Cambodian courtly dress.

Spittoons of this form and size were intended to be held in the hand and passed around. They were used usually in conjunction with the chewing of betel, a mild social stimulant which produced bright red spittle which the user would spit out along with the spent betel quid. Betel tended to be chewed everyday and often after meals.

A spittoon such as this would have been used by a wealthy aristocrat or merchant. Plain brass examples were used by less wealthy members of society.

The spittoon is in excellent condition.

27/08/2024

Our August monthly catalogue is available now on our website. See it all here:
www.michaelbackmanltd.com/monthly_catalogue/august2024/
Almost 30 fine ethnographic items have been added.

26/08/2024

This fine, 18th century Dutch Colonial silver box is available.
(length: 14.3cm, width: 7.8cm, height: 3.8cm, weight: 228g)

The box, of unusual oblong form, is of solid silver and is most probably the work of silversmiths working in Batavia (now Jakarta), or possibly Sri Lanka, in the 18th century.

This example stands on four spherical feet. The lid is hinged and fits tightly. The box is in the form of an oval with scalloped ends. It is very finely chased on all sides with scrolling foliage and flowers within floral borders.

The box is in fine condition. There are no repairs, dents or splits. The base is stamped with later marks.

25/08/2024

This pendant from the Maori people of New Zealand, 19th century, is available. It is in an uncommon form and represents a native bat or pekapeka. (width: 7.2cm, length: 4.8cm, weight: 38g)

It has been carved from a single piece of nephrite-like greenstone (pounamou). It is pierced with two ‘wings’, each with an eye at the top infilled with red sealing wax, and with a hand drilled suspension loop at the top.

This pendant from the Maori people of New Zealand is in an uncommon form and represents a native bat or pekapeka.

It has been carved from a single piece of nephrite-like greenstone (pounamou). It is pierced with two ‘wings’, each with an eye at the top infilled with red sealing wax, and with a hand drilled suspension loop at the top.

The pendant is smooth all over and without any file marks, with worn contours and an unevenly drilled suspension hole.

Overall, it is in excellent condition.

The pendant is smooth all over and without any file marks, with worn contours and an unevenly drilled suspension hole.

Overall, it is in excellent condition.

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Traditional bread making in Morocco. _______________________________________________ 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝘂𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆: 𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗻@𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗲𝗹𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗹𝘁𝗱.𝗰𝗼𝗺 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 & 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗹𝘆 𝗲-𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀. 𝗪𝗲𝗯𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝗶𝗼. 𝘄𝘄𝘄.𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗲𝗹𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗹𝘁𝗱.𝗰𝗼𝗺 _______________________________________________ #michaelbackman #marrakech #localbakery #moroccanantiques #antiquesilver #moroccanstreetfood #islamicantiques #islamicart #moroccanart #traditionalculture

Our latest catalogue is coming out on Tuesday, August 27. We showcase only some of the objects here. Sign up to receive our monthly catalogues here: https://www.michaelbackmanltd.com/about-us/monthly-catalogue-sign-up/ Important: You only have to sign up once.

Some of the finest objects from our previous monthly catalogue. _________________________________________ 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝘂𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆: 𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗻@𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗲𝗹𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗹𝘁𝗱.𝗰𝗼𝗺 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 & 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗹𝘆 𝗲-𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀. 𝗪𝗲𝗯𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝗶𝗼. 𝘄𝘄𝘄.𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗲𝗹𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗹𝘁𝗱.𝗰𝗼𝗺 _________________________________________ #michaelbackman #finestobjects #asianartlondon #londongallery #rareartefacts #masterpieces

Hajis and hats in Kota Bharu, East Coast, Malaysia _______________________________________________ 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝘂𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆: 𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗻@𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗲𝗹𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗹𝘁𝗱.𝗰𝗼𝗺 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 & 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗹𝘆 𝗲-𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀. 𝗪𝗲𝗯𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝗶𝗼. 𝘄𝘄𝘄.𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗲𝗹𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗹𝘁𝗱.𝗰𝗼𝗺 _______________________________________________ #michaelbackman #kotabharu #kelantan #malaysilverandgold #malaytextiles #antiquetextiles #malayantiques #asianartlondon #londongallery #islamicart #islamicantique #tanahmelayu #malaytradition #malayculture #islamicculture

New book by Michael Backman. Pre-order now on https://amzn.to/3I2XTHk. Limited print run, so make sure you secure a copy.

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Our Story

Michael Backman Ltd, based in central London, just off Regent Street, has a large range of museum-quality Indian, Southeast Asian, Himalayan & other Asian antiques and decorative arts, as well as colonial and tribal antiques. All stock is sourced from old British and European collections. We have sold around 150 items to around 25 international museums in the last eight years, including to the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, the British Museum and the National Gallery of Australia. We sell to collectors worldwide too. The website is one of the most comprehensive in the world for a private gallery and it is always up-to-date. Clients receive a monthly catalogue by email so that they are alerted to new stock as it arrives. There are almost 10,000 recipients of the e-mailed monthly catalogue worldwide.