Spiritual Art and Artifacts include art, artifacts and ritual objects that embrace a reverence for and belief in spiritual power higher than ourselves. VA’s collection includes objects and creations reflecting Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Taoism, popular and folk religions, animism and Shamanism traditions. We also include ritual ceremonial items and objects that serve as a transitional link between the living and those in the afterworld which encompasses a broad range of objects: statues, carvings, paintings, textiles, jewelry, masks, pottery and other items.
Showing 1–12 of 21 results
Nandi is among the most frequent Hindu deities worshiped in public places, temples, homes, or on a home altar throughout India. As one of Hinduism’s mythical animals, Nandi is Shiva’s vahana, (his mount that transports him), attendant and leader of his attendants and guardian of all four-footed animals. A recumbent image of Nandi on a…
This antique highly embellished Bolivian religious document holder was possibly used for priests’ sermons or other important documents. Its finely brocaded purple fabric with gold thread features stylized passion flowers and roses widely used in Christianity representing Jesus’ crucifixion and purity .
A stupa is a memorial shrine and a sacred burial mound to house sacred relics associated with the Buddha or other Buddhist saintly persons, a symbol of the Buddha’s enlightenment and a model of the Buddhist cosmos (McArthur, p. 179). Initially they were hemispherical mound-like shapes and were transformed in East Asia into a pagoda…
This antique brass vessel was a daily measuring bowl for rice or other grains made by Dhokra metalsmiths from Eastern India using the same lost wax casting process for millennia. Extremely labor intensive and time consuming, each piece is one-of-a-kind. Dhokra items are beautifully and intricately decorated with simple uncomplicated forms. This charming piece is a typical grain measure and has a handle for hanging and decorated with horizontal striations across the top and bordered by downward striated triangles with a smooth patina from age and use. This bowl were regarded as a symbol of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi and was prized by villagers who could afford them for puja home worship and placed on a home altar.
Click here for the Blog Dhokra Metal Smiths: Retaining Primitive Techniques with Unfailing Success
Click here for the Blog Hindu Home and Temple Shrines and Religious Practices
This antique brass vessel was a daily measuring bowl for rice or other grains made by Dhokra metal smiths from Eastern India using the same lost wax casting process for over 4000 years. Extremely labor intensive and time consuming, each piece is one-of-a-kind. Dhokra items are beautifully and intricately decorated with simple uncomplicated forms. This charming piece has a handle for hanging with horizontal striations and downward striated triangles with a smooth patina from age and use. This type of bowl was regarded as a symbol of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi and was prized by villagers who could afford them for puja home worship and placed on a home altar.
This antique brass vessel was a daily measuring bowl for rice or other grains made by Dhokra metal smiths from Eastern India using the same lost wax casting process for over 4000 years. Extremely labor intensive and time consuming, each piece is one-of-a-kind. Dhokra items are beautifully and intricately decorated with simple uncomplicated forms. This charming piece has a handle for hanging with horizontal striations and downward striated triangles with a smooth patina from age and use. This type of bowl was regarded as a symbol of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi and was prized by villagers who could afford them for puja home worship and placed on a home altar.
This antique brass vessel was a daily measuring bowl for rice or other grains made by Dhokra metal smiths from Eastern India using the same lost wax casting process for over 4000 years. Extremely labor intensive and time consuming, each piece is one-of-a-kind. Dhokra items are beautifully and intricately decorated with simple uncomplicated forms. This charming piece has handle for hanging with horizontal striations and downward striated triangles with a smooth patina from age and use. This type of bowl was regarded as a symbol of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi and was prized by villagers who could afford them for puja home worship and placed on a home altar.
This antique brass vessel was a daily measuring bowl for rice or other grains made by Dhokra metal smiths from Eastern India using the same lost wax casting process for over 4000 years. Extremely labor intensive and time consuming, each piece is one-of-a-kind. Dhokra items are beautifully and intricately decorated with simple uncomplicated forms. This charming piece has a handle for hanging with horizontal striations and downward striated triangles with a smooth patina from age and use. This type of bowl was regarded as a symbol of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi and was prized by villagers who could afford them for puja home worship and placed on a home altar.
Tudi Gong is the Chinese Earth or Land God referred to by many names and often fondly referred to by commoners as “Grandpa.” He is a syncretic deity and tutelary deity, responsible for administrating and protecting the affairs of small towns and villages, especially issues concerning agriculture or wealth, and is believed to control the…
A kumkum container is as part of Hindu puja used for Hindu social and religious markings. Kumkum is dried and made into a paste combined with small amounts of slaked lime sometimes embellished with a few grains of rice that turns the turmeric reddish and is used to apply a tikka – a small dot…
Whimsical carvings of fu lions were the most popular mythical animals in Chinese homes, especially during the Ming and Qing dynasties, as free standing statues, designs on furniture, architectural elements and functional pieces in private homes or gardens or on a home altar to bring fu and the blessings to the home. This incredibly cute…
This is a really great pair of stone small fu lions with lots of character, humor, and detailed carving. Each of these very joyous creatures has open mouthed smiling faces with radiant eyebrows and tufts below their chins, scalloped manes and bushy tails. Carved from one piece of a blackish hard stone they could easily withstand additional wear of the elements in a garden. Pairs of fu lions like this belong in the home of people who appreciate spirituality and wish for happiness and fortune along with a touch of wit and whimsy.
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