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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The Queen Mother of the West is one of the most significant of the female Taoist-deities and as a syncretic deity, has a huge Popular Religion and Buddhist cult following. She is one of the Great Chinese Goddesses and patron deity of women who controls life and death, creation and destruction and determines the life…
Among the oldest Chinese female Taoist-deities, the Queen-Mother of the West Hsi Wang Mu is mentioned in 300 BCE in sacred texts as a goddess who “obtained the Tao.” A patron deity of women and a divine teacher associated with the cultivation of virtue and immortality, she controls the life, death, creation and destruction of…
This rare 5 piece apple green Shiwan ceramic “garniture set” comprised of two vases, 2 candlestick holders and a large censer was originally placed on a family altar in a central room which was the focal point of an affluent Chinese dwelling. Ritually used to perform ancestral offerings on a daily, semimonthly, and seasonal basis, compete sets in excellent condition are relative rare.
This ancestor figure of a huntsman in the round is unique, standing on a domed pedestal, facing half right holding a flint lock, wearing a hunting coat, a two-level hat, traditional under- and outer-garment, and thick boots. As the noted scholar on Chinese wood carvings stated, a similar figure like this “unusual and extraordinary ancestral image of a huntsman with a flintlock gun, was the only ancestral image in his vast collection which “depicts the calling of the deceased.”
Rare carving of Guanyin in lalitsana clasping a rosary on a mythical Hǒu curled around her leg. Hǒus symbolize righteousness, morality and usher in peace and prosperity. Fine and rare provincial folk carving is small yet powerful, mounted on Acrylic base.
Most Hindus have images of one or more murtis (gods and goddesses) on their home altar to help them in their daily prayers (puja), focus their attention and help visualize them. A murti is treated with the utmost respect, care and reverence but devotees never worship the objects and instead use them used only to…
This finely carved ancestor wears official’s attire and hat and sits in a horseshoe chair with his feet on a pedestal to emphasize his power and status, although he appears to be a lovwer level civilian official. It is masterfully carved and lacquered and is painted on front and back in red with traces of gilt – all propitious colors of “fu” as a wish for wealth, health, good fortune, long life and long life – that has faded over it years of use into a great patina.
Shiwan stoneware fruit offerings were placed on the altar during the Ming to substitute for or augment fresh offerings. The three peaches and lotuses on a footed bowl are auspicious Chinese symbols associated with springtime, fertility and a long healthy life for many generations.
This delicate small Mahayana Buddhist carving of seated White Robed Guanyin in meditation sits in meditation on a radiating lotus throne symbolizing her enlightenment, rebirth and purity. As a Popular Religion figure, she is humble, modest, relatable, accessible, yet a beautiful matronly figure. This beautiful figurine was placed on a home altar with other spiritual statues and house gods. Mounted on a frosted acrylic base.
This beautiful provincial Songzi Guanyin is modest, compassionate and humble with lotus leaf crown, unadorned robe and pedestal with simple leaves. The “child giving Guanyin holding her baby resembling the infant Buddha was probably on a home altar of wealthy couple desiring a (male) baby.
This hand carved antique stone flu lion is a fun loving benevolent creature as seen in his open mouth with sharp teeth in a fanciful grin with a curled tongue, mischievously twinkling eyes under bushy eyebrows and a compressed rotund body with a very small tail. This is not your refined portrait of an elegant protective beast, it’s just a friendly pet hanging out . He probably lived in the garden of a provincial fun-loving family and is looking for a similar environment where people like old wonderful pieces to remind them not to take themselves too seriously.
This delicate and vibrant Qing dynasty Shiwan stoneware glazed sculpture represents fresh fruit that symbolizes life and new beginnings would have been placed on a temple or home altar to represent and/or augment plates of stacked fresh fruit. Fresh fruit symbolizes life and new beginnings. These offerings are still made to honor the family’s ancestors, communicate with deities and bring prosperity, good luck and health to the home and would be an auspicious and decorative addition to any home settings where family members past and present are honored.
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