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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This rare vintage carving was probably made for a home shrine or small rice field temple dedicated to Dewi Sri, the Balinese Goddess of Rice. The hole near the bottom indicates it may have been part of a larger decorative scheme.
Dalem is an idealized and refined mask (topeng, tapel) of a model Hindu King from Bali and is usually white symbolizing purity. The mask and dance present actions, postures and gestures validating the traits of a good king: grace, poise, dignity and refinement. This piece is well carved, balanced and in fine proportion, and the crown and the animal hide and hair eyebrows and mustache are well integrated in portraying the king’s confidence. It is in very good condition with a wash applied as a the mask to make it look older. It was personally collected in Bali in the 1970s.
Click here for the blog Indonesian Dance Masks (Topeng): Spiritually Connecting the Community
Dayak Hudoq made after the arrival of masks from Java show their influence, but now even masks like this valid Vintage Dyak piece are hard to find. Authentic with strong parallels with traditional Hudoq pieces, it is painted in an unusual detailed pattern while the projecting mouth and nose, pierced eyes and undulating snake-like elements on the separately carved and attached wing-like ears align with Hudoq tradition. Mask reproductions throughout Indonesia are referred to as “antique baru” (new antiques), but this original, later, authentic vintage mask is hard to find and scarce. Personally collected in the 1970s, it is in excellent condition, placed on a museum-quality metal stand and without restoration or repairs except for the new wing-ear bindings.
This vintage Dyak hudoq mask from Kalimantan (Borneo) reflects many characteristic hudoq elements: its characteristic head shape, white designs on the forehead and face, the curled mustache arabesques and other carved and painted areas around the eyes creating a well-carved, special and impressive image. Made from a single wood piece, it is a transitional Dyak carving that stylistically reflects traditional Dayak (Dyak) masks but blends it with Javanese mask traditions. Collected personally in Bali in the 1970s, it comes with a museum-quality metal stand.
This very fine and very beautiful vintage woodcarving of Dewi Sri , Devi Sri or Sridevi in Java, the Balinese Hindu goddess of rice and prosperity, is in excellent condition considering it is a much used vintage piece. Personally collected in Bali in the 1970s, it reflects the offerings made to Dewi Sri placed in the rice fields to protect the rice harvest. She is depicted here as a young, attractive and fertile woman wearing a striking, highly detailed and decorative headdress similar to those worn in Balinese dances leaving her upper forehead bare and framing her oval face with high curved eyebrows, wide-open eyes and beautiful pursed lips. With its flat back it can be mounted on a wall.
Made in Pagan this miniature hsun ok demonstrates the remarkable sense of design of Burmese wood carvers. It is crafted in two separate parts and replicates the shape of larger hsun-Ok, which traditionally have covers with spired lids topped by elegant finials that imitate the soaring outline of Burmese stupa finials. This modest piece has circular tiers repeated on the foot and the stupa finial top.
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This Chinese Republic Period delicate porcelain figurine holds a rose at her heart in her right snow white hand, her left arm covered by her shawl resting on a waist-high decorative vase with an opening to hold incense (joss) sticks. Her shawl drapes over her shoulders and lower garment with floral motifs extending to the beaded belt at her waist. The sweet facial expression with slightly smiling bowed lips is framed by her piled hair looped in a chignon over each ear. Given her luxurious garments and accessories, she is an aristocratic woman. The rose was often used on porcelains during this period, representing eternal spring.
This traditional but unusually small mask (topeng) of Rangda was a rare toy or was used to teach children Balinese lore and religious and artistic expression. It has wonderfully carved upper fangs, bulging eyes and protruding teeth and, as a personification of evil Rangda, who leads an evil army that instills anxiety and fear.
Timor masks like this are rare and characterized by large roughly cut eyes, the absence of some teeth and the remaining ones being menacing. They are stored in the rafters above the house hearth accounting for their smoky black color. Often decorated with animal hide with hair, the facial pieces have either not darkened fully in the rafters or, when placed on top of each other, did not darken evenly. Frequently a bit threatening due to the black color, missing teeth and their frequent lack of balance, these ancestral masks are used in offering rituals designed to drive off malevolent spirits.
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