Chinalai Tribal Antiques, Ltd.

We registered Chinalai Tribal Antiques, Ltd. forty-five years ago, although we had already been selling tribal antiques in Bahrain for nearly five years before that. Collecting began in Thailand in the 1970s when antique silver tribal jewelry and objects were being sold for 5 cents per gram and we still couldn’t afford to buy very much. Over the years our client base has grown to include museums, corporations, designers and private collectors throughout the world. 

Passion and a quest for knowledge about the artifacts we find and the people and communities who created them have led us to research and write articles (a number are on our website), curate exhibits, and give presentations; and it has been our pleasure to experience a mutual exchange of ideas and knowledge with our customers and fellow dealers, who so often have also become our friends. We miss seeing you all in person but hope you will enjoy our virtual show selections. Please email or call with any questions, and comments are always welcome too. We wish everyone a happy Year of the Wood Snake: may it be a sane, safe, healthy and happy one.

Photographs: Dhani Spinola