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.
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Mazu, protector of sea, is portrayed as the imperially sanctioned “Empress of Heaven” on an elaborate, horseshoe shaped dragon throne, holding a hu tablet, with elegant dragon robes, official’s girdle, Empress headdress and small feet on gilt fu lion foot rest.
This exceptional official is one of the most significant ancestor figures in our collection. His attire, glass eyes and distinct facial features indicate a wise man of importance, a highr ankingfficial or deity, who commands respect. Cranes and clouds symbolize longevity, wisdom, good fortune and emphasize his high rank.
Provincial Nanhai Guanyin palms at heart in anjali mudra, a mudra of offering rarely used for Nanhai Guanyin. On lotus throne at Tidal Cave on Putuo under a craggy rock outcrop with pierced openwork.
Rare provincial white hooded Nanhai Guanyin in Cave below openwork draped moss and barbed rocks holding precious scrolls, with vial and parrot. Open lotuses symbolize her purity and enlightenment, closed lotuses potential for enlightenment of others.
Elegant Guanyin in meditation, gilt covered with five-lobed crown. Sacred vial on her right and parrot on left. Guanyins statues with symbols in this condition are rare and impart a feeling of serenity to the environment around them.
Nanhai Guanyin in her Cave in lalitsana, below draped moss arch holding a scrolls, next to vial of humanity’s tears and parrot, her constant companion. Small Nanhai images with these symbols are very rare.
Mandarin ancestor official in court attire and hat holding up his belt of office. Rare consecration inscriptions on the back indicate the names of two families who pooled funds to commission, carve, and dedicate a sacred figure to their shared local temple or ancestral altar.
Carved ancestor figure as an official sits on a backless chair with a decorative pedestal in official’s attire holding a long slender curved hu-tablet, all signs of his office and status. He is vibrantly painted in red, the color of fu, as a wish for prosperity and status.
This excellently carved ancestor civilian official with gilt highlights was commissioned to be place on a home altar for veneration and impress those who viewed it and to honor the venerated ancestor’s persistence, success, status and power.
Provincial carving with iconic phoenix headdress, hands in karana mudra to cast out demons, negative energy and purify spaces. Image was on home altar and consecrated with a sealed cover.
By making the Queen Mother larger than her horse and adorning it with decorative accessories – wide blanket, prominent head gear, double rowed harness, decorative medallion – this provincial artist emphasizes her power as Tao goddess of life, fertility and granting immortality.
Dense hardwood Queen Mother carving with phoenix in crown, holding robe across body, calmly seated on backless throne, much original polychrome and lacquer finish remains. Sealed consecrated cavity.
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