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 95 results

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

    $1,275.00
    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 his. His  wet style Buddha robe that is smooth and graceful in its simplicity and adds elegance to the carving.

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

    $425.00
    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.

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

    $350.00
    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.

  • Antique Carving of Auspicious Fruit Offering, China (19304UAK) $195

    $195.00
    H: 4.75″  W: 3.675″  D: 3.675″

    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.

  • Antique Carving of Guanyin with a Child, China (5301HEM ) $2,250

    $2,250.00
    Ht: 26”  W: 10.25” D: 7.5″ | FOR SHIPPING INFORMATION CONTACT US AT 213-568-3030

    This rare, sensitive and beautifully carved image probably depicts Guanyin the Bodhisattva of Compassion and Mercy holding a young child’s hand glancing down with compassion and tenderness while he looks up at her 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 Carving of Taoist Fertility Goddess Niangniang, China (17005LREM) CALL FOR PRICE

    H: 43″  W: 15″  D 9.75″ |  CALL US AT 213-568-3030 FOR SHIPPING AND PRICE INFORMATION

    This large exceptionally impressive carving is the Taoist fertility goddess Niangniang, “The Maiden Who Brings Children” often portrayed like  Songzi Guanyin  Created by a provincial artisan, she is charming, humble with beautiful features and three diminutive children and represented as an empress figure with Taoist attire. This is a rare and truly magnificent carving.

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

    $395.00
    H: 13.75″  W: 5.25″  D: 4″ | FREE SHIPPING!

    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.

     

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

    $155.00
    H: 3.875” Dia: 3.875” | FREE SHIPPING!

    Dhokra items like this measuring bowl for rice or other grains are beautifully and often intricately decorated, very accessible, made with an appealing simplicity and in uncomplicated forceful and captivating forms. Made by the lost wax technique, each item has a distinct one-of-a-kind identity as the mold is broken after use so no copies can be made. This charming piece is a typical small grain measure and has a rounded lip, bulging body, and handle for hanging and decorated with horizontal striations across the top half bordered by a band of downward striated triangles, and a broad horizontal band at the center. It is in very good condition with a smooth patina from prolonged use and its considerable age.

    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

     

  • Antique Dhokra Brass Measuring Bowl, India (9500B-VAH) $155

    $155.00
    H: 4.25” Dia: 4” | FREE SHIPPING!

    This antique brass vessel was a daily measuring bowl for rice or other grains made by the Dhokra metalsmiths from Eastern India using lost wax casting which creates a unique and distinct identity and a one-of-a-kind object.  Dhokra items are beautifully and intricately decorated, very accessible, made with an appealing simplicity and their uncomplicated forms are forceful and captivating.  This charming one is a typical small grain measure with a round lip, bulging body, handle for hanging and decorated with horizontal striations across the top half bordered by a band of downward striated triangles and a broad horizontal band at the center. It is in very good condition with a smooth patina from prolonged use and its considerable age.

     

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

    $155.00
    H: 3.5” Dia: 3.75” | FREE SHIPPING!

    Dhokra items like this measuring bowl for rice or other grains are beautifully and often intricately decorated, very accessible, made with an appealing simplicity and in uncomplicated forceful and captivating forms. Made by the lost wax technique, each item has a distinct one-of-a-kind identity as the mold is broken after use so no copies can be made. This charming piece is a typical small grain measure with a rounded lip, bulging body, and handle for hanging and decorated with horizontal striations across the top half. It is bordered by a band of downward striated triangles with bosses at the tips, and a broad horizontal band at the center. It is in very good condition and has a smooth patina from prolonged use and considerable age.

     

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

     

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

    $155.00
    H: 3.875” Dia: 4.125” | FREE SHIPPING!

    Dhokra items like this measuring bowl for rice or other grains are beautifully and often intricately decorated, very accessible, made with an appealing simplicity and in uncomplicated forceful and captivating forms. Made by the lost wax technique, each item has a distinct one-of-a-kind identity as the mold is broken after use so no copies can be made. This charming piece is a typical small grain measure with a rounded lip, bulging body and handle for hanging. It is decorated with horizontal striations across the body and small and large raised zig-zag horizontal bands at the top and underneath are crossing bands with signs of verdigris. It is in very good condition with a smooth patina from prolonged use and its considerable age with a slight loss above the handle.

    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

     

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

    $155.00
    H: 3.75” Dia: 3.75” | FREE SHIPPING!

    Dhokra items like this measuring bowl for rice or other grains are beautifully and often intricately decorated, very accessible, made with an appealing simplicity and in uncomplicated forceful and captivating forms. Made by the lost wax technique, each item has a distinct one-of-a-kind identity as the mold is broken after use so no copies can be made.  This charming piece is a typical small grain measure, with a rounded lip, bulging body, and handle for hanging and decorated with horizontal striations across the top half bordered by a band of downward striated triangles, and a broad horizontal band at the center. It is in very good condition with a smooth patina from prolonged use and its considerable age.

     

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