Making offerings to deceased family members to show devotion and honor them or to revere gods, sprits or holy beings is part of most Asian religious traditions. In Theravada Buddhism, Burmese families bring food offerings to temples and monasteries in vessels called hsun oks to feed monks, make merit and enhance their karma and in Thailand flowers, incense and candles are common offerings made to Buddhist monks, Buddha images and people of higher rank to show respect.
In Mahayana Buddhism and Taoism, offerings are a way to communicate with and venerate gods and ancestors in temples or home altars, bring reciprocal blessings to the bearers and strengthen family ties. This may include offerings of fruit, vegetables, sweets, tea and flowers. Offerings may be represented in many ways: physically or symbolically on home and temple altars; as a single or pair of attendant statues holding offerings or as auspicious and symbolic images or decorative motifs placed on furniture, architecture, carved images, vessels, textiles or woodblock prints. For instance, a 3-item offering of dumplings on a plate is a pictorial pun for gold or silver coins symbolizing wealth and, also, a wish to pass the 3 civil levels of examinations guaranteeing a comfortable life as a civilian official. Offerings are made to the Kitchen God during the New Year to usher in health and prosperity. Traditionally, women made the offerings and men presented them on home altars or shrines to fulfill their family’s wishes.
Prasada is the word for food and water offered to deities during a daily puja ceremony in Hinduism. Five types of offerings – pushpa (flowers), dhupa (incense), deepa (light), naivedya (food) and gandha (sandalwood paste) – are made to symbolize the five elements – space, air, fire, water and earth. Offerings of fruit and flowers are also made at Hindu temples.
In Bali, trained dancers are considered messengers and direct communicators with the gods and make offerings before their performances for blessings and for acceptance of their offerings. Both the mask and dance are considered as having great power and are considered a symbolic spiritual offering to the gods.
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Mingqi are ancient earthenware pottery items usually made using a bivalve mould and covered with a lead glaze that fired to a dark green. The lead in the glaze often combined with tomb dampness for centuries creating a chemical reaction changing its coloring into a lustrous and iridescent green seen here. Han mingqi were ancestral…
Attendant figures are usually presented on an altar in pairs flanking revered figure they honor. This lovely carving is an enlightened being indicated by her pendulous ears, an elevated flowing ribbon, and blissful smile. She traditionally carries offerings which might be food, fruit, medicine, or other unique items. Her extremely pleasing face highlights her modesty as…
Attendants like this often accompanied Taoist figures on home altars, along with other deities and spiritual images. They frequently presented offerings to them which, when tied with ribbons, symbolized “ longevity for generations”. This 18-19th century carving may have accompanied a significant deity as the statue was covered in gilt and lacquer, some which has naturally darkened from age and from years of incense, age and use.
Metal oil lamps (diyas) made for deities in Hinduism are recognized by distinct designs, symbols or figures which identify specific deities to devotees wish to offer their prayers used in homes and temples for daily prayers (puja). This heavy brass antique votive from India is a Vishnu diya with a shallow yoni shaped cup, short…
This antique carving of a wood food offering with a lacquer coating was an auspicious ornament for a Chinese bed to bring the lucky couple prosperity, health and a happy life. The pomegranate on top is a fertility and the four peaches below are longevity symbols. The combination of the fruits is a wish for many sons and longevity and is perfect gift for newlyweds.
Statues of attendants often appear as a pair looking inward and flanking a deity, unless they are very important ones and look straight ahead. They may carry a range of offerings. This antique Chinese woodcarving appears to be a Taoist image likely placed on a home altar along with deities, house gods and ancestors to…
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, artists created small scale icons of Bodhisattva Guanyin and other deities for private use on a home altar and in local temples and shrines. While more sanctioned images and those made for wealthier devotees were created in porcelain, jade, bronze and ivory, those created for Popular Folk Religion, Taoist…
Finely carved figures were attached to ox cart yokes to protect farmers from malevolent spirits who inhabited all seen/unseen sectors of their world. . This beautifully carved ox cart yolk image is a chinthe, a mythical Burmese lion/dragon creature commonly decorating many everyday items. A propitious spiritual and protective guardian, the animalsymbolizes power, courage, and strength. This carving displays the common traits of a lions with a long face, large eyes, a long sharp nose, a lion-like beard, and a flame-like shape on the top of his head. Masterfully carved with careful attention to details, see the deeply incised hairs that cover his body. The 2-part piece is held together with a wooden plug. Though for daily use, Burmese craftsmen created beautiful objects and finished them with the best materials they could afford.
This terracotta head was crafted during the Majapahit Empire in Java and was either part of a Hindu bas-relief frieze or made as a freestanding figurine. Most figures found are small decapitated heads with no bodies, and it is very rare to find a complete figure with a naturalistic facial expression. As with many heads, this one displays Javanese facial features, hairstyles and ear ornamentation typical of the period. It has a naturalistic facial expression and wears large round coiled earrings, possibly suggesting it represented someone of the upper classes. It is in very good condition given its age and use and is mounted on a metal stand. This items pairs with Majapahit Terracotta Head 1137.
The origins of Nuo Opera, performed in provincial villages in Southern China since antiquity, is found in spirit and ancestor worship and Taoism. Performances use a few dozen to 200 masks having distinctive facial features, decorations, regional and ethnic individuality and aesthetic diversity. Usually carved from poplar or willow which are light and less likely…
This unique pair of attendants was likely placed on a home altar flanking and looking slightly inward to a Buddhist or Taoist figure or deity. Standing on circular pedestals, they smile slightly with down cast eyes presenting boxed offerings. One box has ribbons symbolizing the object’s miraculous powers and a wish for longevity. Rare to find pairs of charming figurines, they look even better on custom frosted Acrylic stands.
One of a pair of antique low tables on 3 folding bamboo-shaped leg supports, this traveling prayer/study table was designed for Tibetan monks or nomadic families to lay out sutras (scriptures), scrolls, books and other study materials and by Tibetan devotees as a personal altar/prayer table. It is simply decorated with painted florals on vines and a fruit offering bowl symbolizing the flowering of enlightenment and opening of the heart.
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