10-16-06, Ancient Glass & Coin Jewelry
A collection of rings and pendants set with ancient Roman glass and coins has just come in. These are truly unique gifts you won't find at the anywhere else in the area.

10-16-06, Early Armenian Jerusalem Tile
This tile represents an important workshop and time period. It is a very attractive tile made in the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem in about 1930. It depicts a gazelle. This comes from the original Karakashian-Balian workshop whose designs set the standards upon which all modern Jerusalem pottery is based. Balian was a master potter, and Karakashian was a master artist. Their workmanship shines through on this great looking tile.

10-16-06, USS Constitution Model
This is one of the best made scratch-built model ships we have offered to date. It is built from plans, offers highly accurate rigging and decks, and will be a fascinating centerpiece for the room it ends up in.

10-10-06, Featured in Missouri Life Magazine
Missouri Life has a nice writeup in the October/November issue. Be sure to purchase a copy.

10-09-06, Frankincense Oil
We have stocked up for Christmas. However, you never know how long items like this will last. This essential oil is distilled from frankincense resin and is an inexpensive way to subtly remind us of what Christmas is about. You will want to purchase several.

10-06-06, Tribal Baskets
We are continuing to expand our tribal basketry section with more Buka baskets from Papua New Guinea, and now Nigerian baskets. Tribal baskets must be seen to be appreciated. Their quality, appearance, and intricacy generally put well-known "collectible" baskets to shame.

10-04-06, Kenyan Ebony & Other African Carvings
We have just replenished our display of African wood carvings. Most are from Senegal and Kenya, and about one half are ebony. There are some very interesting looking pieces in the order.

09-29-06, Qajar Dynasty Persian Silhoutte Ware Pottery
We have generally not offered these in the past. Instead, Doyle would haul every piece home (along with many of the Persian polychrome pieces). The good news is that Doyle's space for Persian pottery is full, and others can enjoy some now. Silhouette wares are pieces that are painted with intricate black designs on white tin glaze and then fired again with a high gloss glaze. The final glaze can be any of various colors, but turquoise is the most famous.

09-27-06, Qajar Dynasty Persian Polychrome Pottery
There have been some very nice recent additions to our Persian pottery section. The polychrome pieces have the intense colors, high shine, distinctive designs, and very aged look they are highly regarded for. This batch includes both tiles and vases, and spans the 19th and early 20th centuries.

09-13-06, Large Cretaceous Crocodile Fossils
These are large unprepared crocodile jaw fossils from the phosphate mines of Morocco. They are about 70 million years old. Prepared fossils of this type are very expensive. These fossils are unprepared "project" fossils. We purchased five. One was sold before they arrived. I hauled one home to work on with the kids, and we have three left. The matrix is hard, and the fossils are soft, making these time-consuming projects. But, we have been having a great time with the one I hauled home.

09-13-06, Antique Japanese Block Prints
This is a further development of our Japanese section. It includes a number of original color and black and white block prints, ranging from the 1840s to the 1890s. There are some from the Yoshiiku Utagawa, a prolific and successful artist of the late 1800s. We also have a very nice example by Utagawa Kunisada, widely regarded as one of the masters of the early 1800s. Several unattributed examples are present as well. My favorite is a signed, but unattributed, print of a fishman selecting a lure.

09-13-06, New Guinea Totems & Other Tribal Art
A collection of pieces has arrived. Most were originally collected in the 1960s. A number of Buka and other baskets are included. Most prominent in this shipment are the original carved totem statues. There are miscellaneous other pieces, such as a large drum.

08-28-06, New Guinea Tribal Buka Baskets
"Buka" describes a traditional form of weaving that originated with the people of Buka Island, in Papua New Guinea. In the 1970s, that style founds its way to other parts of New Guinea. However, the Buka people are still considered the best weavers of Papua New Guinea. We have added several new baskets to our inventory. Collectors of baskets will love the strongly contrasting geometric designs and the expert workmanship.

08-23-06, Framed Insect and Arachnid Specimens
This order focuses on our most popular specmens in the nicest frames. All are in gold and mahogany frames, versus the black frames we have generally carried. Several frames include multiple specimens, and there are numerous "metallic" colored butterflies and beetles.

08-22-06, Dutch East India Company "VOC" Coins
This collection is mostly from the 1700s, and they are in much better condition than the shipwrecked VOC coins from our last batch.

08-19-06, Medieval and Antique Spanish Coins
Several dozen coins are in this assortment, and they will be priced as they are attributed. Ages range evenly from 150 to 800 years.

07-20-06, Civil War Letter from Rolla
This letter was written home by a soldier in the hospital, in Rolla, during the Civil War. The soldier was a member of the 20th Wisconsin Infantry, and is dated 1862.

07-20-06, Indo-Persian Halladie
This 19th century weapon is gripped in the middle, with long blades extending out both sides of the hand.

07-20-06, Antique Italian & French Stilettos
Three fine stilettos arrived from Italy. They date to circa 1650, 1750, and 1850. The French stiletto dates to the mid 1800s, and has an elaborate brass or bronze hilt.

07-06-06, Front Page Story
The July 6 Edition of The Fort Leonard Wood Patriot has featured us for their cover story entitled "The Old World Trader - Antiques at their Best." This was a great surprise. We knew about the story, but not about the front page. Be sure to pick up a copy. It is widely distributed throughout the area.

07-05-06, Tribal Art & Weapons
This order came from a poorly documented collection in Australia. It includes a great looking Buka basket with lid and a large number of unattributed arrows from the South Pacific. Most are clearly from New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, but there are some that appear to be from other islands. All show the aging characteristic of those brought home by military personnel and missionaries in the 1940s through 1960s. Since we do not know much about the collection, all of these pieces will be sold for much less than the better documented examples.

07-01-06, Arms & Armor Sale
During July, all antique weapons, armor, military history books, antique military maps, and other related items are on sale. Visit early for the best selection.

07-01-06, Thuya Wood Boxes
These are always popular, and we were down to three pieces. We just received an order that includes dozens of styles. Thuya is a rare wood, harvested in Morocco and revered for it beautiful burl. These boxes are great for fine gifts that need fine presentations.

07-01-06, Central Asian Tribal Jewelry
This collection includes some stunning silver and lapis pendants as well as an assortment of necklaces.

07-01-06, Vintage Russian Religious Pendants & Amulets
An assortment of pieces are available. All are interesting and attractive.

07-01-06, Indo-Persian Arrows
We have added new Indo-Persian arrows manufactured circa 1700. All are of armor piercing types.

07-01-06, New Guinea Tribal Artifacts
Various pieces have arrived. Most were collected by missionaries in the 1950s and 1960s. Examples include grass skirts, loin cloths, basketry, and similar items.

07-01-06, Samurai Armor Components
Several small sections of Samurai armor have arrived. These are very affordable, and display well. They average around 200 years old.

07-01-06, Borneo Bow & Arrows
These were collected by a soldier during World War 2. We also have the original bamboo tube that he fashioned into a shipping container for the pieces.

07-01-06, Antique New Guinea Bows
Recently purchased from the Brooklyn Museum. All show museum accession numbers. Collected as "old" in the late 1800s, these were donated to the museum in 1931. New Guinea tribal weapons of this age are very rare. There was very little contact with the outside world in the late 1800s, and the environment was hostile to preservation.

07-01-06, Antique Amazon Bow & Arrows
Recently purchased from the Brooklyn Museum. All show museum accession numbers. Collected as "old" in the late 1800s, these were donated to the museum in 1931. The fragile nature of the arrows' construction makes examples of this age very rare.

06-10-06, Lots of New Photos
View a new batch of photos from around the store at www.theoldworldtrader.com/photos. Visit the 06-14-2006 directory for the latest.

06-10-06, Antique Samurai Armor
A photo of this armor has been posted on the main page. This is a mostly complete set, missing only the kobuto (helmet), menpo (neck protection) and one sode (shoulder protection). This makes an attractive and powerful display that the photo doesn't really capture.

06-07-06, Vintage Russian Crosses
These have actually been in stock for quite a while. We had just never got around to placing most of them on display. They are truly unique and quite impressive.

06-07-06, Afghanistan Vintage and Antique Tribal Jewelry
These are some great looking pieces. Some are fairly new, while others certainly quite old. Most are of silver with lapis or jade insets. A number of beautiful crosses are in this group.

06-07-06, Persian Miniature Painting Jewelry
A number of shell pendants made in the early 1900s have arrived. All have nice miniature paintings characteristic of the Persian workmanship of that time.

06-07-06, Persian Enamel Wares
These came in late for our sale that ended a week ago. Examples include tobacco pipes, cigarette holders, spoons, rings, and pendants. Persian enamel is a beautiful art form, and all of these pieces are from the early 1900s.

06-07-06, Antique Arrows
Another batch of antique arrows has arrived. This includes examples from Somalia, West Africa, New Guinea and Japan. The Somali arrow is a nice late 19th century poison arrow.

06-07-06, Various Antique Edged Weapons
A number of pieces have come in. A very nice Phillipine Toliban sword is in the batch.

06-07-06, Antique Nepalese Konra (large kukri)
This very interesting piece is similar to a Ghurka kukri, but it is much larger and heavier. It was designed for an annual ceremony that required a Ghurka to sever the head of a buffalo in a single stroke. It was later brought back to England and engraved by a collector.

06-07-06, Antique Japanese Armor
We have received several pieces of original Edo Period armor from Japan. Some of the pieces have not yet arrived, but they will consist of most of a complete suit of armor as well as a number of individual sections that will display well.

05-25-06, New Weapons Display
If you have not been in for a while, you will find the weapons section is much larger than it used to be. It now includes about twenty feet of packed wall space as well as floor and counter space.

This section will grow even more when the batch of antique Central American bows and arrows, recently deaccessioned from the Brooklyn Museum arrives. They will be accompanied by another collection that includes a nice Indo-Persian bident pole arm.

05-25-06, Solomon Islands Weapons
This includes a bow, several arrows, and a spear. All are fine examples of workmanship. The styles are representative of those found on Bouganville Island. The bow and the spear are completely sheathed in woven designs. The arrows have matched weaving to bind the heads to the shafts. The bow has its original string, and the arrows and spear have numerous carved bone barbs incorporated into the heads.

05-25-06, Samurai Arrows
We have three new samurai arrows in stock. These are all original 18th century arrows that are completely intact. All have leaf type armor piercing heads.

05-25-06, New Guinea Tribal Arrows
Another batch of tribal arrows has come in. These are from an important Australian collection. All were collected by Doreen Marks, a missionary and linguist who spent many years living with the natives of the East Highlands of New Guinea. She authored or collaborated on a number of books and had a good eye for artifacts. These arrows all show plenty of genuine age was present before they were collected, and they exhibit very fine workmanship.

05-15-06, New Guinea Tribal Arrows
We just received an assortment of tribal arrows collected by missionaries to New Guinea in the early 1950s. At the time, much of that region had had very limited or no contact with outsiders. All of the arrows already showed age when they were collected. One is interesting in that the maker incorporated a scrap of paper with English printing into the construction. All of the arrows are intact. They are unfletched as is normal for the types, and are made of bamboo, with intricately carved palm wood heads. They are decorated with paint and woven patterns. These arrows were authentic functional weapons unlike the similar souvenirs that are made for tourists today.

05-12-06, Original Thomas Miles Richardson Jr. Sketches
We have the pleasure of offering four original Richardson sketches. Richardson's works can be found in museums throughout the United States and Europe. He was a prominent artist of the mid to late 1800s. He is best known for his watercolors of British landscapes. Those watercolors routinely sell for thousands of dollars. Richardson would sketch scenes from his travels. Later, he would create larger watercolors based on those sketches. These are examples of those sketches he made while traveling. They have the dates they were made and notes about the subjects. Following are the subjects of our sketches:

• Loch Ard
• Harewood Castle
• Chepstow Castle
• Notley Abbey

05-10-06, Antique Prints
A collection of over 100 antique prints just came in. These are part of the estate of a rare prints dealer in Canada. Examples include architectural, portrait, landscape, nature, and religious prints. Examples range from 100 to over 300 years old.

05-10-06, Armenian Wood Crosses
We only received two of these. They are small upright wood panels that have intricate crosses carved into the faces. These are very attractive.

05-10-06, Armenian Pottery
Several new pieces of Armenian pottery arrived. Most are made in Jerusalem and have religious themes. They are very nice.

05-10-06, Original Antique Sketches and Watercolors
An assortment of original artworks arrived this week. They include the contents of an antique artist's sketchbook, watercolors from Switzerland, and British landscapes.

05-10-06, 19th Century Indo-Persian Armor Helmet
This is an original 19th century piece of parade armor. It is covered in botanical decorations as it common with the style and has the original camail, or chain mail neck protection. Helmet has a spike and two plume holders on top.

05-01-06, 16th Century Ottoman Buckler Shield
This small round shield is characteristic of those used in the Ottoman Empire, although it was occasionally used in Persia as well. It is of all steel construction with single large boss. The outer edge is perforated. Originally, this shield would have been covered with woven reeds which have long since rotted away.

05-01-06, 19th Century Indo Persian Tulwar Sword
This nice looking Indo-Persian sword was made in the mid 1800s. It is of all metal construction, and has a spiked pommel.

04-27-2006, Antique Architectural & Other Prints
This batch comes from the liquidation of a rare print shop on the east coast. It includes about fifty architectural prints from the 18th and 19th centuries. Another fifty are prints of various subjects from the same period. There are some great examples to choose from. One more batch is on the way. It will include a large batch of original antique sketches and watercolors.

04-27-2006, 18th Century Portuguese Swivel Cannon Update
It has been ten weeks since we received our rail mounted swivel cannon. The custom mount is almost complete. There have been many technical issues in getting a design that looked right and was functional. The mount is made to represent a section of 18th century ship's rail. This will allow it to be displayed and maneuvered as it would have been long ago. The stand measures four feet tall, and every aspect of it is rock-solid and big. We told the woodworker to cut no corners in the design and to build it to last for generations. Yesterday, I had a chance to inspect the mount before final assembly and finishing. The wood is 100% solid walnut in the massive proportions found for that period. Almost all of the joints are mortice and tenon type, laminations use biscuits, and every load bearing element is reinforced. It was rock-solid even though glue and fasteners hadn't yet been used.

Bill Hanshew has made all of our custom mounts, and this is his biggest, most complex, and most impressive piece he has made yet. I can't wait to see what he does with the collection of intact antique arrows that are coming. The project is still a couple of weeks from completion. He is taking his time with it, and the finishing will be just as meticulous. We handle a lot of things that are hundreds of years old. This piece is of a caliber that I expect someone to admire it hundreds of years from now.

04-26-2006, Egyptian Gifts
This order includes fifty Egyptian blown glass perfume bottles, a number of leather coaster sets, papyrus paintings, bookmarks, and other assorted gifts for people who collect "Egyptian." All are inexpensive, and they are part of the "Near Eastern Cultures" collection that has been arriving all month.

04-21-2006, Armenian Pottery
We received the first of a large assortment of hand-painted Armenian pottery. These pieces will range from a few decades old to new, and they come from Turkey and Jerusalem. The designs fit well with the Turkish and Persian pottery we have been accumulating. It is easy to see the relationships between the styles, while also seeing what makes each group different from the others.

04-20-2006, Turkish Porcelain
A few more pieces have come in. More are on the way. Most are hand-painted Ottoman style pieces from Kutahya, Turkey. They range from very recent to a few decades old.

04-19-2006, Persian Miniature Paintings on Shell
These pieces are a nice addition to jewelry and other pieces that were recently added. All were produced in the early 1900s. The shell allows light to shine from behind the designs, making them luminous.

04-10-2006, 18th Century Indo-Persian Hide Shield
This original shield is made of a type of hide we have not identified. This will be impressive when mounted on somebody's wall.

04-10-2006, Persian Illuminated Manuscript Leaves with Miniature Paintings
These are very rare and equally attractive. These paintings depict scenes from Persian stories and poetry and must be seen to be appreciated. All were made in the 1700s and 1800s.

04-10-2006, Persian Khatam and Miniature Paintings on Bone
Khatam is a distinctive form of inlay practiced in Persia and continued in Iran. The embargo makes new pieces illegal to import, but we received a couple of nice vintage pieces. One is a khatam frame with a large miniature painting on bone. The other is a box with another miniature painting inlaid into the lid. Additionally, a batch of unmounted miniature paintings on bone are in the batch. All were produced in the early 1900s.

04-09-2006, Qajar Persian Tiles & Kutahya Turkish Porcelain
Several new pieces arrived. This batch included a very attractive round Qajar tile and a stunning Kutahya cup, hand-painted and decorated in gold. Others arrived, and more are on the way.

04-08-2006, New Photos Posted
Visit our photos page for new photos from the shop and of pieces that are available for order. You might want to bookmark the page while you are there. I haven't created a link button for it yet.

04-06-2006, Central Asian Copper Bowls
We have two of these bowls. Both are made of copper with tin or silver wash over them. They are both intricately engraved on their outer surfaces and both show genuine age. One bowl is relatively new and was made in the early 1900s. The other is older and shows more hand-workmanship. It was made no later than the 1800s, and we are still researching to see just how old it is. Both come from a source with family in Herat, Afghanistan. This gives him access to things that outsiders have more difficulty finding.

04-06-2006, Congolese Battle Axe
This is a great example of the axes made in southern Africa during the 1800s. It is about the size of a hatchet and has a great looking engraved head.

04-03-2006, Antique Maps & Prints
Another 100 have arrived, and 200 more are coming. We are continuing to build this inventory up. While we used to focus exclusively on manuscripts that were at least 200 years old, we now offer a large number of inexpensive prints from the 1800s.

03-31-2006, Persian Pottery & Tiles
These pieces started arriving last week. They include some beautiful examples of tin glazed and hand-painted work that Persia was once famous for.

03-29-2006, Fine Turkish Porcelain
Several new pieces of hand-painted Kutahya porcelain arrived, and more are on the way. This is part of our "Near Eastern Art" collection that should be complete by the end of the month.

03-17-2006, Assorted Photos - Click to Enlarge

03-16-06, Persian Vase
This hand decorated while bottle/vase was made in Iran (Persia) in the mid-1900s. These are very unusual and unique pieces. We are in the process of increasing our inventory of Islamic ceramics and may add some medieval pieces in the future.

03-15-06, Antique Prints
About 200 new prints have arrived. These were published mostly in the 1870s and 1880s, and they cover a wide range of topics. These will be inexpensively priced.

03-10-06, VERY Rare British Isles Map
"Britannia prout divisa fuit temporibus Anglo-Saxonvm," by Jan Jansson. This magnificent map is recognized as one of the most beautiful maps produced in the 17th century. It is a fine example of the craftmanship and artistry that came from Amsterdam at that time. It depicts Britannia divided into various Saxon kingdoms - each with a coat of arms. Around the margins are vignettes of Saxon kings.

Originally issued in 1646, it continued to be printed by various heirs of Jansson into the 1740s. It was a copy of an earlier map by Blaeu, issued in 1645, but is more rare. What makes this more scarce is that it was issued as a sheet as opposed to a folded page in an atlas. This is the kind of centerpiece that most map collectors would dream of.

03-09-06, Vintage Persian Vase
This eight inch vase is a beautiful example of vintage Persian turquoise glaze. The blues and greens in Islamic glazes are stunning.

03-06-06, Fine Ancient Roman Glassware
Several pieces arrived. These are all fine examples, with many exhibiting the iridescence that is highly regarded in ancient glass. The shapes are interesting, and some are particularly large (for Roman glass). Also included is a very uncommon glass cup.

03-06-06, Indus Valley Civilization Artifacts
A new batch of Indus Valley artifacts arrived. Most are in "as excavated" condition. The Indus Valley civilization thrived in the third millennium BC.

03-06-06, Rare Maps
About two dozen maps arrived. These range from the mid-1700s to the mid-1800s. Several depict Australia - one of them as New Holland. There is also a nice 1861 Mitchell map of Missouri. Lots of maps of Europe, British Isles, Classical Lands, World, etc. are in this batch.

03-06-06, Antique Prints
This is a large assortment of antique prints range from 100 to 250 years old. These include military, botanical, frontpieces, costumes, architectural, and other subjects.

03-04-06, Original Antique Watercolor Sketches
These include several original furniture and interior design sketches made in the 1890s and one made in the 1920s. Four of the five pieces are by John H. V. Dyer, an influential British designer of the Victorian period. His works can be found at the Victoria and Albert Museum and the British National Library of Art. His works rarely come on the market. The piece from the 1920s was created in France, by the Wagner workshop. The quality and presentation truly represent fine art.

03-03-06, Large Polished Ammonites
Several Madagascar split and polished ammonites arrived. These are beautiful examples, and it has been a long time since we have had such nice specimens to offer.

03-02-06, Insect Amber
140 pieces of Dominican and Baltic insect amber. These were less expensive than what we have purchased in the past, and our price will be reduced accordingly.

03-02-06, Ancient Roman and Judaean Artifacts
A nice lot of nineteen Roman and Judaean oil lamps came in along with three examples of Roman glassware.

03-01-06, Rare Maps & Manuscripts
A set of William Simpson Crimean War prints, including "The Charge of the Light Cavalry Brigade" arrived. We also received several maps and fortification plans from the 17th through 19th centuries. Included are a 1780 World map and an attractive 1861 Missouri-Iowa map.

02-18-06, Mayan Stamp Seal
This seal dates to between AD200 and AD900 and is much more ornate than most. The stamp surface features worn glyphs, and the handle is in the shape of an bird. These were used for stamping a variety of things such as skin, textiles, and clay. Amount of stamp wear compared to handle wear makes us believe this piece was probably used for stamping pottery.

02-13-06, CHINESE ARTIFACTS SALE
We have finally finished pricing our Chinese artifacts. Hundreds of pieces, spanning 5000 years of history, are included. All are on sale for 30% below their marked prices. Sale extends through the month of February. Layaway and telephone orders are welcome. Examples include the following:

• Neolithic to Early Republic Pottery and Porcelain
• Export Porcelain
• Tang and Ming Dynasty Horses
• Boxer Rebellion Era Weapons
• Vintage Carved Ivory Chess Set
• Ancient Jade Tools and Discs
• Much, much more...

02-07-06, Bronze Swivel Gun
Our newest arrival is an original 18th century bronze ship's swivel gun from the Banda Islands. The Banda Islands are part of the famed Moluccas or "Spice Islands" that were the center of fierce European rivalry. This cannon has its original swivel and measures about 30 inches long. We plan to commission a custom hardwood pedestal display for this piece. It will be an impressive showpiece for someone's collection.

02-06-06, Greek Orthodox Icons
The first part of our Greek icon order has arrived. It includes eight hagiography icons, hand-painted on goldleaf. In addition, the first of over 500 styles of paper icons arrived. When the rest of the order comes in, we will have a total of over 2800 icons, in almost 600 styles, from Russia and Greece.

02-03-06, Miscellaneous Photos of the Shop
CLICK HERE to open a directory of miscellaneous photos from the shop.

02-03-06, Framed Manuscripts & Artifacts
The Frame Shop has nearly finished a batch of conservation-framed artifacts and manuscripts from The Old World Trader. These include the following:

• Neolithic Chinese Jade Tool
• 17th Century Blaeu Map of Galloway, Scotland
• 13th Century Illuminated Manuscript Leaf
• Ancient Prutah Coin issued by Pontius Pilate
• Ancient Judaean Widow Mites (not done yet)
• McKinney & Hall Indian Prints
• 17th Century Fortification Plans
• 17th Century Print of Soldiers
• 19th Century Chinese Blue-White Plate
• Medieval Byzantine Cross
• Ancient Judaean Terracotta Oil Lamp
• 18th Century Curtis Botanical Print

02-01-06, Chinese Pottery & Porcelain
Almost all of this order has arrived. Between the three shipments that have come in, we have over 150 pieces. There are some missing and incorrect pieces that may result in one, final order. Now, it is a matter of getting everything priced.

01-30-06, Chinese Pottery & Porcelain
The second batch of artifacts came in today. One more batch should arrive any day. It will take weeks to get everything attributed, but some of the last order's pieces are already priced.

01-25-06, Chinese Pottery & Porcelain
A few dozen pieces of ancient, medieval, and antique Chinese pottery have arrived. This is the first part of a collection that will include over 160 pieces. There is a strong likelihood that this will be the last large order we ever make. Authentic Chinese pieces are getting more difficult to import. Also, there is a very real chance of an embargo in the near future. If passed, this embargo will stop the importation of all Chinese artifacts made before 1912. This has already had an impact on our costs, and our costs for future orders has already multiplied.

The pieces that arrived include examples spanning 5000 years of development. No pieces have been priced yet, but examples are below:

• Vessels from the Yang-Shao Culture (5000-3000BC)
• Vessels & Figures from the Han Dynasty (206BC-AD220)
• Figures, including a horseman, from the Tang Dynasty (AD618-907)
• Song Dynasty celadon jars (AD960-1279)
• Yuan Dynasty (AD1271-1368) Figures and Vessels
• Ming Dynasty (AD1368-1644) Porcelain and Figures
• Qing Dynasty (AD1644-1912) porcelain jars, vases, and tea pots

01-23-06, Ancient Judaean Oil Lamps
This order includes 15 ancient terracotta oil lamps from the Holy Land. They range from AD0-600, and there is a lot of variety. These recently sold out, and you can expect some of the best to sell out quickly.

01-21-06, Antique Chess Sets
Seven antique chess sets arrived. These include examples in wood and in bone. They range from 100 to 150 years old.

01-14-06, 15 New Styles of Chess Sets
This order includes one each of fifteen styles of themed sets. All are well made and inexpensive.

01-13-06, Vintage Ivory Staunton Chess Set
We just received a 1960s ivory Staunton chess set. This set was made in Hong Kong and the pieces are black and white. It comes with its original storage board.

01-09-06, Vintage Ivory Chess Set
This hand-carved set was made in Hong Kong in the mid-1900s, and features more intricate carving than most. The set is complete and comes with its original storage board.

01-02-06, STORE CLOSED
We will be closed on Monday. Normal hours resume Tuesday. Happy new year!

12-30-05, Fossils and Minerals
We just picked up a new batch of fossils. We got a special price on Moroccan ammonite sculptures. In addition, we purchased a number of nice fish from the Green River formation. They are getting ready to start preparing the Teleoceras (North American rhinoceros) from South Dakota, a four foot dinosaur rib, and a large crinoid plate. In the near future, we can expect to have some more stunning specimens.

12-30-05, Skeleton Displays
Before Christmas, all of the skeleton displays sold out. A new order has arrived. It includes bat, lizard, snake, frog, turtle, and fish specimens. These are in small acrylic covered displays. In the next day or two, I plan to attach hangers so they may be wall-mounted.

12-29-05, Framed Butterflies
We just brought in replacements for some of the framed insects and skeletons that sold before Christmas. Only two frames of butterflies are in the new batch. The first is a large frame with 23 specimens, and the other is a smaller frame with 9. We still have plenty in stock, but more will come soon.

12-26-05, Closed Monday
We will be closed on Monday, December 26th. Normal hours resume Tuesday.

12-21-05, Thuya Wood Boxes and Gifts
In the last month, about 90% of our inventory of thuya wood products sold out. We just received an order that replenished our inventory. We are almost fully stocked - just in time for last-minute Christmas shopping.

12-21-05, Biblical Tribute Penny and Other Coins
A number of ancient coins arrived. This includes a mixed lot of bronze and silver Greek and Roman coins as well as a small batch of uncleaned assorted coins. Most interesting is the Roman denarius issued by Tiberius. This is the "tribute penny" referenced in Matthew and Mark of the Bible. These are in very high demand. Newsletter subscribers have received a special price on this.

12-19-05, Feature Article in Rural Missouri Magazine
The latest Rural Missouri magazine goes out to 480,000 homes this week. We are proud to be featured in a two page article entitled, "The Old World Trader: Treasures abound in Rolla's most unique store".

12-19-05, Ancient Coins
About 40 new ancient coins have come in, and about that many more are in transit. This is a continuation of an upgrade in our ancient coin inventory. Most of the coins are Roman Imperial, and care has been taken to add new emperors and some great looking silver denarii and antoniniani. More are expected before Christmas.

12-12-05, Assorted Artifacts
In the last few days, we have received several inexpensive Roman and Greek artifacts. These include bronze Roman crossbow fibulae, bone pins, and other pieces.

12-12-05, Antique Jewelry
Another batch of Middle Eastern and Central Asian brass rings has arrived. We have more than 60 in stock, and these are very popular.

12-12-05, Ancient Greek & Roman Coins
In the last few days, several dozen ancient coins have come in, and more are on the way. These orders have focused on adding more high grade bronze and silver coins as well as some from hard to come by emperors. The majority are Roman Imperial, but there are also quite a few from the Byzantine Empire, Greek Empire, and Roman Republic. A number of them were selected for having Christian symbolism.

12-12-05, Russian Religious Icons & Jewelry
This is a continuation of our development of a Christianity section of the store. We received another 75 styles of religious icons. This takes our total selection to about 90 styles of Greek and Russian Orthodox icons in stock. In addition, we received about sixty styles of pendants and medals. We have examples in silver and in brass, and they are all very nice. The order also had two engraved glass Faberge eggs. They are stunning, and we should have ordered more.

12-5-05, Biblical Coins
We just received a batch of 70 coins from David Hendin, one of the preeminent scholars on ancient Judaean coinage and author to a number of references on the subject. This order consists exclusively of widow's mites (Judaean lepton and prutah coins), and coins issued under Pontius Pilate.

12-02-05, Greek Icons
The hand painted Greek icons have finally arrived. This was a custom order we commissioned directly from Greece. Each icon depicts a scene from a Bible story. These panels are painted with tempura on gold leaf in the traditional Byzantine style. Each is signed by the hagiographer. They are priced at $189.95. Buy or layaway one by Saturday, November 3rd, and save 20%.

11-29-05, Roman Coin Starter Kits
This order has some great gifts for people interested starting ancient coin collections. We received several styles of reference posters showing Byzantine, Greek, medieval English, and Roman coins. We also received some starter sets that come with uncleaned coins, instructions, supplies, booklets, and reference CDs. These will be popular for Christmas.

11-29-05, Russian Gifts
Russian gifts have been very popular, since our first batch came in last week. That first batch did not include many pieces and a number were already sold out. This order is larger than our first, and it includes many items that sold out quickly before. We have more Russian icons, nesting dolls, straw inlaid boxes, Christmas ornament sets and other pieces in stock.

11-27-05, Fossils
Last week, most of our biggest fossils were sold out. In this order, we replaced them with some very large trilobites and a five foot long orthoceras fossil. The new fossils are large enough to appreciate from across the room.

11-27-05, Framed nature specimens
This order includes some spectacular butterflies along with other (big) exotic insects, spiders, scorpions, and skeletons. The Natural History products have been selling very well. It seems they will be popular gifts this Christmas. With this order, we have about doubled our inventory.

11-23-05, Egyptian gifts
1/2 of this order did not arrive. Those pieces that did have far exceeded our expectations. Since these pieces are hand crafted in each, we will not likely have another order before Christmas. Types of pieces include mother of pearl inlaid boxes, papyrus paintings, blown glass perfume bottles and Christmas ornaments, papyrus bookmarks, and a few other items. 86 blown glass perfume bottles did not arrive, and they are expected soon.

11-22-05, Russian gifts
This order is beautiful. Unfortunately, we only ordered 55 pieces, and they have been selling from almost the moment they were unpacked. Pieces include straw inlaid boxes, lacquered boxes, Christmas ornament sets, nesting dolls and Russian icons. I do not expect these to last long.