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 61–72 of 95 results

  • Sale!

    Antique Rare Carving of a Huntsman with Rifle, China (16743WHK) $315

    Original price was: $315.00.Current price is: $267.75.
    H: 9″  W: 3.625″  D: 3.5″ | FREE SHIPPING!

    This unusual ancestor-huntsman figure is like a similar example in the collection of described by the notable scholar Keith Stephens as “An Unusual and Extraordinary Ancestral Image” standing with legs spread firmly on a plain rounded triangular base holding an 19th century flint lock rifle while scouting for prey. Much of original paint has been lost or covered by darkened lacquer, but the flesh tone on the face and remnants of red and white paint remain.

  • Sale!

    Antique Repoussé Vishnu Votive Plaque, India (5174A-TAK) $250

    Original price was: $250.00.Current price is: $212.50.
    H: 7.5”  W: 5.75”  D: 2.5” | FREE SHIPPING IN CONTINENTAL U.S.!

    This antique repoussé votive plaque portrays the Hindu deity Vishnu, the Protector of the Universe with a double aureole holding the conch shell he uses to make the om (aum) sound that embodies divine energy and is considered to be the sound of the universe which encompasses all sounds within it. He wears a crown representing his supreme power and earrings signifying  the dual nature of creation. The lotus next to him and the lotus leaves of his throne symbolize purity, truth, and the unfolding of creation. Mounted on a unique frosted acrylic base.

  • Sale!

    Antique Seated Ancestor Official, China (16289BME) $650

    Original price was: $650.00.Current price is: $552.50.
    H: 7.25” W: 4.625” D: 3.5” | FREE SHIPPING WITHIN CONTINENTAL U.S.!

    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.

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    Antique Shiwan Offering Bowl, Peaches and Lotuses, Shiwan, China (19330A-BLE) $450 SPECIAL PRICE

    Original price was: $450.00.Current price is: $382.50.
    H: 5.5″ Dia: 6″ | FREE SHIPPING WITHIN CONTINENTAL U.S.!

    Shiwan stoneware fruit offerings were especially popular during the Ming and Qing dynasties when they were placed on temple or home altars to communicate and venerate ancestors, augment fresh offerings and bring auspicious blessings of fu to families presenting them. The three peaches interwoven with lotuses are associated with springtime, fertility, and especially a long healthy life for many generations. They are considered propitious gifts for birthdays, especially for the elderly.

  • Sale!

    Antique Small Guanyin on a Radiating Lotus, China (16534MSK) SPECIAL PRICE

    Original price was: $595.00.Current price is: $505.75.
    H: 8.675″  Dia: 4.5″ | Free SHIPPING IN CONTINENTAL U.S.!

    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.

  • Sale!

    Antique Songzi Guanyin, Bestower of Children, China (16311XOKE) $2650 SPECIAL PRICE

    Original price was: $2,650.00.Current price is: $2,252.50.
    H: 14.5”  W: 8.25”  D: 5” | FOR SHIPPING INFORMATION CONTACT US AT 213-568-3030

    This beautiful Guanyin is carved in the rural provincial tradition: a modest, compassionate and humble deity with a simple “crown” of lotus leaves and an unadorned robe with flowing sleeves extended to her plain pedestal lined with simple leaves. Her face is extremely empathetic with a slight smile as she tenderly grasping her child who resembles the infant Buddha. Given its size and elegance it was probably on a home altar of a well to do couple desirous of having a (male) baby.

     

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    Antique Stone Fu Lion, China (16394JLM)

    Original price was: $195.00.Current price is: $165.75.
    H: 4.5″  Dia: 3.25″ | FREE SHIPPING WITHIN CONTINENTAL U.S.!

    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.

  • Sale!

    Antique Stoneware Fruit Offering, Shiwan, China (19330-BLE) SPECIAL PRICE

    Original price was: $375.00.Current price is: $318.75.
    H: 8.75″  DIA: 6.75 ” | FREE SHIPPING WITHIN CONTINENTAL U.S.!

    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.

  • Sale!

    Antique Taoist Official Holding a Hu Tablet, China (19043QRK) $295

    Original price was: $295.00.Current price is: $250.75.
    H: 12.875”  W: 5”  D: 2.75” | FREE SHIPPING!

    This carving  is a Taoist official or priest wearing a traditional high hat, a high collared robe adorned with painted cobalt blue cloud designs, and an official’s belt. Seated on a modest low backless chair, he holds a long, slender and curved Hu tablet and the open cavity on the back contains its concentration slip placed there during an eye-opening ceremony. .

     

  • Sale!

    Antique Taoist Official or Priest with Hu Tablet, China (16095DRK) $245

    Original price was: $240.00.Current price is: $204.00.
    H: 10.5”  W: 6”  D: 4” | FREE SHIPPING!

    This image is a seated Taoist priest or official placed along with ancestor figures and other religious images on a home altar. Wearing long-flowing official’s robes with deep-folds, he ceremonially holds a hu tablet with raised arms and hands under a ritual cloth. Images were frequently damaged or darkened by incense and candle smoke from regular ritualistic offerings and were often repainted or re-lacquered as this was, probably done in the early 20th-century.

  • Sale!

    Antique Taoist Official with the Elixir of Life (16312BOK) SPECIAL PRICE

    Original price was: $450.00.Current price is: $276.25.
    Ht: 9″ W: 5″ D: 3.5″ | FREE SHIPPING WITHIN CONTINENTAL U.S.!

    During the Ming and Qing dynasties small images of Taoist officials and priests were often shown holding a cup of the elixir of life to place on home altars along with ancestor figures, house gods and other religious images to bring blessings (fu) to the household. By commissioning  figures like this artful carving, families honored their ancestors and met their filial piety duties. Mounted on an acrylic stand.

     

  • Sale!

    Antique Taoist Official/Priest with Hu Tablet, China (14001ZSK) $395

    Original price was: $395.00.Current price is: $335.75.
    H: 14.25” W: 5.5” D: 4” | FREE SHIPPING within continental u.s.!

    This unique and dense antique/vintage carving may represent the noted historical figure:  the principal regent Dorgon  of the first Qing Emperor Shunzhi who ruled from 1643-1650 as a”quasi” emperor based  on the four-character inscription that reads “Southern Holy Emperor.” He is presented wearing an impressive and detailed hat and coat holding a hu tablet characteristic of one standing before an emperor.

     

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