Our catalogue > Antique Tribal Jewellery

This page showcases all the jewellery & items of personal adornment from tribal groups in Asia, Africa and Oceania that we have for sale.

Most items have been sourced from within the UK, often from old colonial-era collections.

All items are available for sale right now.

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9697

Rare Pair of Sulawesi-Buton Upper-Arm Bridal Bracelets

Butonese People, Buton Island, Eastern Indonesia
19th-early 20th century

external diameter: 13.4cm, internal diameter: 10.3cm, combined weight: 106g

Provenance

private collection, Amsterdam, and acquired in the 1980s by the previous owner in the Netherlands

9663

Massive, Rare Berber ‘Front & Back’ Amber Necklace

Berber or Amazigh People, Ait Yazza Village and related groups, Draa Valley Region, South-eastern Morocco
early 20th century

circumference: approximately 140cm, weight: 931g

Provenance

private collection, Germany; collected in the 1980s

9705

Himalayan Shell Pendant or Hair Ornament

Tibetan Peoples, Lahaul and Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, Himalayan India
19th century

length: 8.8cm, width: 7.8cm, depth: approximately 3.5cm, weight: 77g

Provenance

Private collection, Scotland

9702

Rare Himalayan Brass Coil & Shell Pendant Necklace

Tibetan Peoples, Lahaul and Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, Himalayan India
19th century

length of pendant: 13.1cm, width of pendant: 5.1cm, circumference of chain: 70cm, weight: 119g

Provenance

private collection, Scotland

9703

Large & Superb Himalayan Shell Hair Ornament (Dunkertsa)

Tibetan Peoples, Lahaul and Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, Himalayan India and Ladakh
19th century

length: 7.9cm, width: 9.7cm, depth: approximately 4.5cm, weight: 104g

Provenance

private collection, Scotland

9588

Moroccan Berber Necklace of Large Antique Amber Beads

Berber People, High Atlas Mountains, Morocco.
18th-19th century

circumference: approximately 65cm, length of beads: between 2.5 and 6.2cm, overall weight: 622g

Provenance

private collection, Amsterdam, Netherlands

9730

Nepalese Gilded Bronze of Samantabhadra in Yab-Yum

Nepal
18th century

height: 15.2cm, width: 10.2cm, depth: 8.1cm, weight: 1,310g

Reserved

Provenance

private collection, Spain/England

9702

Rare Himalayan Brass Coil & Shell Pendant Necklace

Tibetan Peoples, Lahaul and Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, Himalayan India
19th century

length of pendant: 13.1cm, width of pendant: 5.1cm, circumference of chain: 70cm, weight: 119g

Provenance

private collection, Scotland

9640

Tibetan Silver, Gilt & Turquoise Woman’s Belt Ornament & Matching Silver Chain (Ghanjen or Gyenzen)

Tibet
19th century

length: 46.7cm, width: 43cm, weight: 318g

Provenance

UK art market

9502

Maori Greenstone Pendant in the form of a Native Bat (Pekapeka)

Maori people, New Zealand
19th century

width: 7.2cm, length: 4.8cm, weight: 38g

Provenance

UK art market

9374

African Dogon Cast Brass Pendant of a Seated, Bound Female Slave

Dogon People, Mali
19th century or earlier

height: 6.7cm, weight: 134g

Provenance

UK art market

9305

Unusually Large, Naga Trade Bead & Bone Belt or Girdle

Konyak Naga People, North-West India & Western Burma
early 20th century and possibly earlier

length: 82cm, width: 13.5cm

Provenance

private collection, US

9308

Konyak Naga Trade Bead, Brass Bell & Shell Necklace

Konyak Naga People, North-West India & Western Burma
early 20th century

Provenance

private collection, US

9377

Fine & Rare African Senufo Brass Ancestor Pendant

Senufo or Dan People, Ivory Coast or Liberia
circa 1930

width: 13.5cm, height: 6.2cm, weight: 198g

Provenance

UK art market

9376

Rare Dogon Brass Talismanic Pendant Showing Five Ancestor Figures

Burkina Faso or Mali
circa 19th century

height: 7.3cm, width: 10.8cm, weight: 153g

Provenance

UK art market

9300

Rare Naga Necklace with Turquoise-coloured Trade Beads

Naga People, Burma/India
early 20th century

circumference: approximately 83cm, weight: 328g

Provenance

private collection, US

9703

Large & Superb Himalayan Shell Hair Ornament (Dunkertsa)

Tibetan Peoples, Lahaul and Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, Himalayan India and Ladakh
19th century

length: 7.9cm, width: 9.7cm, depth: approximately 4.5cm, weight: 104g

Provenance

private collection, Scotland

9705

Himalayan Shell Pendant or Hair Ornament

Tibetan Peoples, Lahaul and Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, Himalayan India
19th century

length: 8.8cm, width: 7.8cm, depth: approximately 3.5cm, weight: 77g

Provenance

Private collection, Scotland

9293

Fine Baule Cast Brass Necklace

Baule People, Ivory Coast
early 20th century

circumference: approximately 81cm, weight: 184g

Provenance

private collection, US

9195

Large & Early Kina Shell Pectoral Pendant with Stone-Drilled Holes

Western Highlands, Papua New Guinea
late 18th-19th century

width: approximately 19cm, weight: 183g

Provenance

Julian Harding Collection, London

8991

Isneg Mother-of-Pearl & Bead Chest Ornament (Sipatal)

Isneg People, Northern Luzon Island, Philippines
early 20th century

length of glass bead strands: 30cm, length of mother-of-pearl shell components: approximately 21.5cm, weight: 159g

Provenance

private collection, London, UK

6567

Tunisian Woman’s Silver Anklet (Khelkhal Menfouk)

Kairouan and Sfax regions, Tunisia
19th-early 20th century

width of hoop: widest at 12.4cm, depth of closed box: 3.1cm, weight: 55g

Provenance

private collection, Germany

8546

Solomon Islands Large Pectoral Pendant (Tafi or Dafe)

Solomon Islands
early 20th century

length: 20.7cm, weight: 190g

Provenance

from the estate collection of a former London museum curator

8624

Nias Headhunter’s Torque Necklace (Kalabubu)

South Nias, Indonesia
early 20th century

inner diameter: widest at 23.2cm, widest disk: 4.8cm, weight: 572g

Provenance

UK art market

8545

Solomon Islands Engraved Shell Pendants with Shell Currency Strands

Solomon Islands
early 20th century

length (of the largest pendant): 6.6cm, weight: 98g

Provenance

from the estate collection of a former London museum curator

8543

Solomon Islands Carved Clam Shell & Seed Necklace

Solomon Islands
early 20th century

width (of shell pendant): 8.5cm, weight: 99g

Provenance

from the estate collection of a former London museum curator

8542

Solomon Islands Engraved Shell Pendants with Shell Currency Strands

Solomon Islands
early 20th century

length (of the largest shell pendant): 5.8cm, weight: 92g

Provenance

from the estate collection of a former London museum curator

8540

Solomon Islands Gold Lipped Pearl Shell Pendant with attached Shell Currency Strands

Solomon Islands
early 20th century

length (of shell): 7cm, width: 6.7cm, weight: 26g

Provenance

from the estate collection of a former London museum curator

8529

Solomon Islands Small Pectoral Pendant (Tafi or Dafe)

Solomon Islands
early 20th century

length: 9.3cm, weight: 25g

Provenance

from the estate collection of a former London museum curator

4480

Chin Minority Large Brass Spools for a Necklace

Chin People, Western Burma
19th century

circumference: approximately 67cm, lengths of the spools: approximately 12.3cm, 12.7cm, 13.1cm, 14.1cm and 14.6cm; width of the widest spool: 2.8cm, weight: 373g

Provenance

private collection, London.

6799

Pair of Nigerian Cast & Engraved Bronze Bangles

Lower Niger River, Nigeria
early 20th century

external diameter (widest): 9.9 to 10.1cm, internal diameter: 5.4 to 5.9cm, combined weight: 1,330g

Provenance

UK art market

6779

Naga Blue Glass Bead & Brass Necklace

Konyak Naga People, Burma/India
circa 1900

length of pendant: 14.5cm, width: 6.2cm, circumference: approximately 72cm

Provenance

private European collection

6783

Pair of Naga Brass Bracelets

Naga People, North-Eastern India
19th century

internal diameter: approximately 6.8cm, combined weight: 549g

Provenance

private European collection

4115

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)

Provenance

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

3987

Silver Double Axe Pendant (Taka)

Central Flores, Eastern Indonesia
18th-19th century

height: 6.2cm, width: 7.3cm, weight: 15.4g

Provenance

Dutch antique market; private Dutch collection; acquired previously in the Netherlands

4474

Yoruba Cast Brass Opele Oracle Chain

Yoruba People, Nigeria
19th century

circumference: approx.: 96cm, weight: 178g

Provenance

UK art market

6247

Naga Chank Shell Bead Necklace

Naga People, Eastern India/Western Burma
19th century

length: 60cm, weight: 216g

Provenance

private collection, London

6249

Naga Warrior’s Brass Neck Torque

Naga People, Eastern India/Western Burma
18th-19th century

width: 16.5cm, weight: 135g

Provenance

private collection, London.

5722

Zulu Wooden Ear Plugs with Bakelite Tile Decoration

Zulu People, South Africa
circa 1940

diameter (each): 6.5cm, combined weight: 61g

Provenance

private collection, UK.

5937

Pair of Dayak Solid Brass Pendant Ear Ornaments

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

lengths: 7.3cm, combined weights: 396g

Provenance

private collection, UK

5724

Zulu Wooden Ear Plugs with Bakelite Tile Decoration

Zulu People, South Africa
circa 1940

diameters: 5.5cm, thickness: 0.8cm

Provenance

private collection, UK

5653

Necklace of Manabi Terracotta Spindle Whorls

Pre-Colombian Manabi Culture, Ecuador
500BC-500AD

length: 68cm, weight: 104g

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 superb collection of ethnographica.

4624

Cast Brass Senufo Ring

Senufo People, Ivory Coast
19th or early 20th century

weight: 19.6g, ring size: 10.75 (US), V/V (UK)

Provenance

UK art market

4196

Three Solid Copper Mossi African Hairpins

Mossi People, Burkina Faso
19th century

7.5-9cm

Provenance

Private collection, London.

5940

Exceptional Pair of Igbo Man’s Cast Brass Wrist Guards or Cuff Bracelets

Igbo People, South-central and South-eastern Nigeria
probably 19th century

heights: 17cm, diameters: 10.7cm, combined weights: 1,150g

Provenance

UK art market

4864

Bontoc Clam Shell Bead & Glass Bead Necklace

Bontoc People, Northern Luzon, Philippines
19th-20th century

weight: 169g

Provenance

private collection, UK.

4860

Indian Yellow Venetian Glass & Brass Bead Necklace

Andhra Pradesh, India
19th century

length: 84cm, weight: 280g

Provenance

UK private collection

4259

Naga Bead & Bone Belt or Girdle

Naga People, India/Burma
19th century

length (approx): 67cm, width: 15.5cm, weight: 517g

Provenance

private collection, London.

4046

Rare Cast Brass Necklace

Vere People, North-Eastern Nigeria & Cameroon
19th century

length: 69cm, weight: 1,303g

Provenance

UK art market

4047

Woman’s Brass & Beaded Headdress & Ear Ornament Set

Kikuyu People, Kenya
early 20th century

diameter of each spiral : 8.8cm; length of headdress: 38cm, total weight: 325g

Provenance

UK art market

4399

Carved Shell, Glass & Wood Bead & Fossilised Palmwood (Pumtek) Necklace

Mizo People, Eastern India, or Naga People, Burma/India
circa 1900

length: 80cm, weight: 100g

Provenance

private collection, London.

4261

Cast Brass Male Fertility Ring

Muria People, Bastar, Madhya Pradesh, India
18th-19th century

overall approximate widest diameter: 5cm, weight: 52g

Provenance

private London collection

4265

Cast Brass Male Fertility Ring

Muria People, Bastar, Madhya Pradesh, India
18th-19th century

overall approximate widest diameter: 6cm, weight: 46g

Provenance

private London collection

1984

Pair of New Guinea Cone-Shell Ear Ornaments, dated 1859

New Guinea
collected in 1859

maximum diameter of each: 7cm

Provenance

UK art market; private collection, UK.

2850

Cast Brass Pendant & Brass Bead Necklace

Asante/Ashanti, Ghana, West Africa
early 20th century

length of pendant: 12.5cm, length of chain: 66cm, weight: 193g

Provenance

UK art market

3091

Rare Pair of Ijebu-Yoruba Bronze Ceremonial Anklets

Nigeria
18th century

diameter: 19cm

Provenance

private collection, Isle of Wight, UK.

4279

Chief’s Bronze ‘Tiered’ Anklet with Bells

Gio or Dan & Wee People, Liberia & Cote d’Ivoire
19th century

outside diameter: 11.5cm, inside diameter: 7.5cm x 8.5cm, height: 4.3cm, weight: 517g

Provenance

UK art market

3933

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

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.