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The Hou (Hǒu) is the most powerful of the mythical animals in Chinese beliefs, a composite of 10 animals and revered for its ability to gather and guard money for its master, defend him from evil, and protect against bad fortune. As the mount of Guanyin, it sometimes resembles, as here, a Buddhist lion or…
This charming antique Guanyin carving sits in meditation (dhyana mudra), legs in padmasana soles of her upturned feet visible, hands in lap with thumbs lightly touching. Created by provincial artisan as a folk rather than imperial carving to be placed on a personal home altar she has softer and modest facial features and is more…
Guanyin, the most beloved deity in the Mahayana Buddhism, embodies compassion and loving-kindness and hears the cries of all beings. During the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, Guanyin statues were commissioned by provincial artisans for a home altar that were humble and more relatable to the rural devotees as in this statue where she…
Stoneware teapots like this were commonly used in Chinese villages as domestic wares, often accompanied by a a set of cups. This hexagonal pot is finely designed with deep crevices at the joint of each facet, a small curved spout and small round lid with fitted stopper, and a yoked rounded handle with spiral decorations…
Oil lamps (diya) are used daily by Hindus throughout India for prayer rituals (puja) performed on a home altar or in temples for devotional worship. Hindus believe that diyas are essential, as light itself is the absence of darkness and where evil forces dwell. Light and the act of lighting a lamp signify purity, virtuosity,…
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…
Early Chinese Mahayana images portrayed Lohans as followers of the Buddha, living in the human world in human forms .Through their spirituality and asceticism they achieved enlightenment and were no longer subject to rebirths but choose to not enter nirvana and remain as guardians to preserve Buddhist teachings, protect the Buddhist faith and lead others…
Oxen/bullocks and their carts were the primary means in Burma/Myanmar for plowing, hauling or transportation. Inexpensive and adaptable to any terrain, they were used to tend fields and carry goods, agricultural products, lumber, and people. Two or four-wheeled carts were pulled by one or a pair of oxen that were hitched to the cart by…
Of Guanyin’s 33 manifestations, Songzi Guanyin (Bestower of Children or Child-giving) was one of the most favored during the Ming and Qing dynasties when small images were placed on a home altar for veneration by families desirous of having a male child to carry on the family legacy. Songzi Guanyin is a syncretic goddess, embraced…
Ancestor-figures portrayed as Chinese-officials were placed on a home altar with other house gods and religious images to bring fu to the household. During the Qing dynasty, designation as an Official was so significant families sought to emphasize this achievement in family ancestral figures. As traditional, this carve official has a serious expression, sits on…
Known as Budai in China and Hotei in Japan, Budai is one of the most famous Mahayana deities, called Mi Lo Fo, the Loving or Friendly One. Known as the Laughing, Happy, or Fat Buddha in the West, he is a symbol of contentment, happiness, good luck, and plentitude. With a loving character and benevolent…
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…
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