Our catalogue > Tribal Art – Asia

'Tribal' art from Asia can be found on this page - including objects from the Naga people of Eastern India and Western Burma, the Dayak & Iban of Borneo, and the Bontoc & Ifugao of the Philippines.

The pieces shown here, all of which are for sale, have been carefully selected by us on account of their artistic merit, their patina and their provenance.

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

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9551

Balinese Carved Wooden Rice Sheaf Paddle (Panaptapan)

Bali or Lombok, Indonesia
19th century

length: 37.9cm, width: 8.3cm, weight: 285; height including stand: approximately 43cm

Provenance

Art market, France

9308

Konyak Naga Trade Bead, Brass Bell & Shell Necklace

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

Provenance

private collection, US

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

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

9413

Unusually Large & Fine Pair of Yao Large Silver Ear Ornaments

Im Mien or Dao/Yao People, Laos/Northern Thailand/Southern China
late 19th century-early 20th century

length: approximately 15.6cm, width: approximately 9.3cm, combined weight: 296g

Provenance

French art market

9414

Silver Yao Celestial Headdress & Matched Pin

Kim Mun Lantien Sha of the Dao/Yao People, Laos/Northern Thailand/Southern China
early 20th century

diameter of disc: 16.4cm, length of hair pin: 22.1cm, overall weight: 234g

Provenance

French art market

9302

Naga Necklace with Dark-Blue Trade Beads

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

circumference: approximately 66cm, weight: 287g

Provenance

private collection, US

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

8989

Naga Pair of Rock Crystal Ear Ornaments (Tongpang)

Naga People, Eastern India/Western Burma
19th century

width: 4.2cm, length: 3.7cm, thickness: approximately 1.3cm, combined weight: 81g

Provenance

UK art market

9119

Pair of Dayak Solid Brass Pendant Ear Pendants

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

length: 6.6cm, width: 3cm, combined weight: 266g

Provenance

private Dutch collection

5767

Dayak Carved Wooden Tiger Stopper

Dayak People, Borneo, Malaysia
19th century

height (with stand): 14.3cm, width: 5cm, weight (without stand): 100g

Provenance

Private collection, UK

5770

Dayak Carved Wooden Humanoid Stopper

Dayak People, Borneo, Malaysia
19th century

height (with stand): 9.8cm, width: 5cm, weight (without stand): 32g

Provenance

Private collection, UK

5766

Dayak Carved Wooden Demon Stopper

Dayak People, Borneo, Malaysia
19th century

height (with stand): 12.5cm, width: 5cm, weight (without stand): 61g

Provenance

Private collection, UK

3906

Large Ifugao Carved Wooden Ritual Bowl (Duyu)

Ifugao People, Northern Luzon, Philippines
19th century

width: approximately 38cm, height: approximately 11cm, weight: 2,150g

Provenance

private European collection.

8561

Unusual Sumatran Sword with Carved Wooden Ancestor Hilt

North Sumatra, Indonesia, probably Batak or Nias
18th century & possibly earlier

overall length: 66.5cm, length of wooden hilt: 11cm

Provenance

overall length: 66cm, weight: 457g

7299

Maluku Gold-Alloy Pectoral or Forehead Ornament

South Maluku, (Moluccas), Eastern Indonesia
19th century

width of mask: 10.8cm, length of seedpod-like elements: approximately 5.2cm, weight: 28g

Provenance

Estate Collection of Tom White MBE; lot 222, 'Gold: Important ancient and ethnic jewellery and works of art in precious metal', Hapsburg, Feldman, Geneva, Switzerland, May 14, 1990.

7058

Batak Funerary Wooden Puppet (Si Gale-gale) Head

Batak People, Lake Toba Region, North Sumatra, Indonesia
circa 1930s

height (including stand): 27.5cm, width (of head): 11cm, weight: 748g

Provenance

UK art market

7195

Assam Brass Waist Ornaments (Benyop)

Adi-Minyong people, Assam & Arunchal Pradesh, India
18th-19th century

length (of the largest piece): 11cm, width: 9.1cm, combined weight: 598g

Provenance

UK art market

7063

Lombok House-Shaped Storage Box

Sasak People, Lombok, Nusa Tenggara, Eastern Indonesia.
early 20th century

height: 67cm, width: 53.5cm, depth: 43.5cm, weight: 3,165g

Provenance

UK art market

7207

Fine, Dayak Brass Helmet Ornament

Dayak People, Borneo, Malaysia/Indonesia
19th century

width: 10.6cm, height: approximately 17.5cm, weight: 93g

Provenance

UK art market

6773

Exceptional, Early Tanimbar Ancestor Figure

Tanimbar, Southeast Moluccas, Eastern Indonesia
18th century

height: 16.4cm, width: 5.4cm, depth: 4.5cm

Provenance

Private Collection, Northern England; acquired by the previous owners from an antiques fair, York, England, circa 1980

6602

Naga Cowrie Shell Apron or Loin Cloth

Naga People, Burma (Myanmar)
early 20th century

length: 69.2cm, width: 22.5cm, weight: 548g

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

6521

Andaman Islands Man’s Dance Regalia

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

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

Provenance

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

5769

Dayak Carved Wooden Stopper

Dayak People, Borneo, Malaysia
19th century

height (without stand): 10.8cm

Provenance

Private collection, UK

5284

Konyak Naga Trade Bead Necklace

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

length as worn: 35cm, approx. circumference: 70cm, weight: 168g

Provenance

UK art market

5768

Dayak Wooden Hornbill Bird Stopper

Dayak People, Borneo, Malaysia
19th century

height without stand: 8.3cm, height with stand: 9.3cm

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

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.

3944

Pair of Borneo Man’s Solid Brass Spiral Ear Ornaments

Kenyah/Kayan Dayak People, Sarawak, Borneo
19th century

diameter: 2cm, combined weight: 72g

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.

3705

Batak Raja’s Large Brass Tobacco Pipe (Tulpang)

Batak, North Sumatra, Indonesia
19th century

length: 86cm

Provenance

UK art market

3909

Ifugao Carved Wooden Ritual Bowl with Handle (Duyu)

Ifugao People, Northern Luzon, Philippines
19th century

length: 31cm, width: 20.5cm, height: 8cm

Provenance

private European collection.

3945

Pair of Man’s Solid Brass Spiral Ear Ornaments

Kenyah/Kayan Dayak People, Sarawak, Borneo
19th century

diameter: 2.6cm, combined weight: 90g

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.

1804

Large Jorai Ironwood Ancestor Figure

Jorai People, Central Highlands, Vietnam
19th century

height: 114cm

Provenance

Benneton Collection, France

1111

Batak Raja’s Brass Tobacco Pipe (Tulpang)

Toba Batak, North Sumatra, Indonesia
19th century

length: 76cm

Provenance

Christie's, The Trevor Barton Collection.

2449

Ifugao Carved Wooden Ladle or Dipper

Kalanguya People, Southern Ifugao, Philippines
early 20th century

length: 24.5cm

Provenance

Scottish art market

3739

Rare Tai Shan Quilted, Woven & Embroidered Jacket

Shan, Chin or Related People, Eastern Burma, Northern Thailand or Laos
19th century

length: 74cm, width: 56cm

Provenance

private collection, London; art market, Paris.

3908

Ifugao Carved Wooden Ritual Bowl with Handle (Duyu)

Ifugao People, Northern Luzon, Philippines
18th-19th century

length: 20.4cm, width: 13.5cm, height: 6.3cm

Provenance

private European 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.

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.

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.