Home Altar

In many world religions, home altars are spiritual tables on which sacred images, symbols or texts are placed and honored with offerings made for venerating deities and/or ancestors by family members that generally include light from candles or lamps, incense, flowers, food, and water. In Buddhism, home altars are physical spaces that support spiritual practice, encourage devotees to attain enlightenment and show gratitude to the Buddha for showing the way to enlightenment. Buddha and Buddhist deity statues and other spiritual symbols remind devotees of the qualities of Buddha’s wisdom and compassion and serve to inspire devotees to develop these qualities as they recall Buddha’s teachings.

Chinese Taoist and Popular Religion family home altars or shrines (Kam or Kung) honor ancestors, attract blessings and avert malevolent forces and influences. Ancestor worship is a family affair to communicate with and provide greetings and support to the deceased, engage in prayer, display filial piety and make offerings to ancestor statues and/or tablets. Taoist, Popular Religion and Buddhist deities maybe placed along with images of Taoist and Buddhist priests, deified local heroes and legends. Home altar statues are blessed in an eye-opening consecration ceremony performed by a Taoist or Buddhist priest or monk to imbue with them with chi and give them life. Offerings of candles, incense and foods are placed to attract blessings of fu which they augmented by placing furniture in certain locations and using propitious colors (red and gold attracts the most fu).

In Hinduism, the home altar is the most important part of a household where all family actions and decisions are made, special events are celebrated, and members gather to perform daily prayers (puja) to show reverence and devotion through prayer, supplication, songs, ceremonial worship and rituals. Hindu statues, images of deities who protect the family and engender good fortune, are placed there along with other ritual items of devotion.

Home altars are now viewed as spiritual, and often meditational spaces to celebrate one’s family. Along with spiritual icons or statues, they include photos of loved ones, well-loved mementos or trinkets, hand-written notes, or letters. Additional spiritual elements include candles, crystals, or incense.

Showing 13–24 of 91 results

  • Sale!

    Antique Carved Buddha in Freedom from Fear, Laos (3148LKE) $1275

    Original price was: $1,275.00.Current price is: $1,083.75.
    H: 20”  W: 3.75”  D: 3.75” | CALL 213-568-3030 FOR SHIPPING

    This antique Lao Buddha stands in refined dignity displaying inner tranquility and strength, hands in abhaya mudra that connotes reassurance, divine protection, and dispelling fear and signifies Buddha’s spiritual power as he bestows protection from evil and ignorance and conveys “fear not” to devotees.  As typical of Lao Buddhas he is covered in gilt visually reflecting his golden skin and a finial or radiance as a flame emerging from atop his head. His  wet style Buddha robe that is smooth and graceful in its simplicity and adds elegance to the carving while showing his body underneath his clothing.

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    Antique Carved Standing Ancestor Official, China (18017ESK) $425

    Original price was: $425.00.Current price is: $361.25.
    Ht: 8.25″  W: 3″  D: 2.125″ | FREE SHIPPING!

    Dressed in a red robe with a high neck collar, extremely wide sleeves extending below the knees and a belt around his waist, this ancestor figure portrayed as a civilian official standing on a rectangular base with hands together wearing a long civil official’s robe that extends to his shoes but has no rank badge indicated.

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    Antique Carved Wood Taoist Priest, China (16157ERK) $350

    Original price was: $350.00.Current price is: $297.50.
    H: 9.25”  W: 4.5”  D: 3.25” | FREE SHIPPING

    This well carved image probably is a Taoist official that was placed on a home altar along with other religious and ancestral carvings to summon good wishes and energy and ward off malevolent forces. His high status and importance as a Taoist official are affirmed by his static pose, solemn face, official’s robes and refined hat and the red and gilt pigmentation covering the front and back.

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    Antique Carving of Auspicious Fruit Offering, China (19304UAK) $225

    Original price was: $225.00.Current price is: $191.25.
    H: 4.75″  W: 3.675″  D: 3.675″

    | FREE SHIPPING WITHIN CONTINENTAL U.S.!
    This offering plate with a stack of five propitious fruits was probably affixed to one of the bed posts for a couple as a wish for male children and longevity. The plate sits on a base draped with a stylized ritual cloth and embellished with carved leaves and holds a pomegranate on top to symbolize fertility and the four peaches below are symbols of longevity.

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    Antique Carving of Guanyin with a Child, China (5301HEM ) SPECIAL PRICE $1,700

    Original price was: $2,250.00.Current price is: $1,912.50.
    Ht: 26”  W: 10.25” D: 7.5″ |CALL 213-568-3030 OR EMAIL [email protected] FOR SHIPPING COST

    This rare, sensitive and beautifully carved image probably depicts Guanyin the Bodhisattva of Compassion holding a young child’s hand glancing down with compassion and tenderness while he looks up for assurance and protection. This unique provincial Popular Religion carving depicts her as humble, engaging and modestly clad with a serene softness. It is similar to but different from Songzi Guanyin, the “Child-Giving Guanyin” to whom couples pray to become fertile and to bear a son.

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    Antique Civilian Official Ancestor Figure, China (16848BEM) $395

    Original price was: $395.00.Current price is: $335.75.

    H: 13.75″ W: 5.25″ D: 4″ | FREE SHIPPING WITHIN CONTINENTAL U.S.!

    This ancestor figure, carved in boxwood the preferred wood softwood during the Qing Dynasty, is portrayed in the characteristic pose of a Chinese civilian official, grasping his official’s belt with his right hand to demonstrate his important stature – which was really not so important for this gentleman, given his humble seating furniture and his modest attire. His right hand rests on the his knee as he sits erect on a thick low-back pedestal. Unlike many officials who are serious, this one is more approachable, with simple deeply carved smiling features, high arching brows and a black painted mustache and beard.

     

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    Antique Dhokra Brass Measuring Bowl, India (9500A-WAH)

    Original price was: $155.00.Current price is: $131.75.
    H: 3.875” Dia: 3.875” | FREE SHIPPING IN CONTINENTAL U.S.!

    This antique brass vessel was a daily measuring bowl for rice or other grains made by Dhokra metalsmiths from Eastern India using the same lost wax casting process for millennia. Extremely labor intensive and time consuming, each piece is one-of-a-kind. Dhokra items are beautifully and intricately decorated with simple uncomplicated forms. This charming piece is a typical grain measure and has a handle for hanging and decorated with horizontal striations across the top and bordered by downward striated triangles with a smooth patina from age and use. This bowl were regarded as a symbol of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi and was prized by villagers who could afford them for puja home worship and placed on a home altar.

    Click here for the Blog Dhokra Metal Smiths: Retaining Primitive Techniques with Unfailing Success 

    Click here for the Blog Hindu Home and Temple Shrines and Religious Practices

     

  • Sale!

    Antique Dhokra Brass Measuring Bowl, India (9500D-JAH) $155

    Original price was: $155.00.Current price is: $131.75.
    H: 3.5” Dia: 3.75” | FREE SHIPPING IN CONTINENTAL U.S.!

    This antique brass vessel was a daily measuring bowl for rice or other grains made by Dhokra metal smiths from Eastern India using the same lost wax casting process for over 4000 years. Extremely labor intensive and time consuming, each piece is one-of-a-kind. Dhokra items are beautifully and intricately decorated with simple uncomplicated forms.  This charming piece has a handle for hanging with horizontal striations and downward striated triangles with a smooth patina from age and use. This type of bowl was regarded as a symbol of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi and was prized by villagers who could afford them for puja home worship and placed on a home altar.

     

    Click here for the Blog Hindu Home and Temple Shrines and Religious Practices

     

  • Sale!

    Antique Dhokra Brass Measuring Bowl, India (9500E-NAH)

    Original price was: $155.00.Current price is: $131.75.
    H: 3.875” Dia: 4.125” | FREE SHIPPING IN CNTINENTAL U.S.!

    This antique brass vessel was a daily measuring bowl for rice or other grains made by Dhokra metal smiths from Eastern India using the same lost wax casting process for over 4000 years. Extremely labor intensive and time consuming, each piece is one-of-a-kind. Dhokra items are beautifully and intricately decorated with simple uncomplicated forms.  This charming piece has a handle for hanging with horizontal striations and downward striated triangles with a smooth patina from age and use. This type of bowl was regarded as a symbol of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi and was prized by villagers who could afford them for puja home worship and placed on a home altar.

     

  • Sale!

    Antique Dhokra Brass Rice/Grain Measuring Bowl, India (9500B-VAH) $155

    Original price was: $155.00.Current price is: $131.75.
    H: 4.25” Dia: 4” | FREE SHIPPING IN CONTINENTAL U.S.!

    This antique brass vessel was a daily measuring bowl for rice or other grains made by Dhokra metal smiths from Eastern India using the same lost wax casting process for over 4000 years. Extremely labor intensive and time consuming, each piece is one-of-a-kind. Dhokra items are beautifully and intricately decorated with simple  uncomplicated forms.  This charming piece has handle for hanging with horizontal striations and downward striated triangles with a smooth patina from  age and use. This type of bowl was regarded as a symbol of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi and was prized by villagers who could afford them for puja home worship and placed on a home altar.

  • Sale!

    Antique Dhorka Brass Measuring Bowl, India (9500C-VAH) $155

    Original price was: $155.00.Current price is: $131.75.
    H: 3.75” Dia: 3.75” | FREE SHIPPING IN CONTINENTAL U.S.!

    This antique brass vessel was a daily measuring bowl for rice or other grains made by Dhokra metal smiths from Eastern India using the same lost wax casting process for over 4000 years. Extremely labor intensive and time consuming, each piece is one-of-a-kind. Dhokra items are beautifully and intricately decorated with simple uncomplicated forms.  This charming piece has a handle for hanging with horizontal striations and downward striated triangles with a smooth patina from age and use. This type of bowl was regarded as a symbol of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi and was prized by villagers who could afford them for puja home worship and placed on a home altar.

     

  • Sale!

    Antique Female Attendant with Offerings, China (19035BKE) SPECIAL PRICE

    Original price was: $595.00.Current price is: $505.75.
    H: 14”  W: 6.25  D: 3.5” | FREE SHIPPING WITHIN CONTINENTAL U.S.!

    This delicately carved seated female attendant probably accompanied a religious image on a home altar. She holds an offering plate with three offerings of dumplings or pieces of fruit, possibly a peach trio which is a Chinese longevity symbol. A three-item offering is a also pun for a group of three ancient coins known as tael, a symbol of wealth and a wish for high status.

     

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