Antique Ritual

Antique religion print depicting rituals and ceremonies for the death of the Pope.

Description: The scene captures a celebratory moment, likely a festival or a ritual, among the indigenous Mexican population. The central figures are engaged in a dance, surrounded b...

A gilt bronze sculpture depicting a stylized bull, seated on a stepped base. The piece stands out for its symbolic design and its ritualistic or ancient-inspired aesthetic, with simp...

Statue of Bacchus or Dionysus, the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual madness, fertility, theatre and religious ecstasy in ancient Greek religion and myth.

The upper scene shows the sacrifice of a black lamb. This act of ritual sacrifice takes place during a Fête du Soleil (Feast of the Sun), a religious ceremony meant to appease and ho...

Title: "Ritual Dance in Brazil" Description: This original copper engraving from Arnoldus Montanus' "Die Unbekannte Neue Welt oder Beschreibung des Welt-teils Amerika und des Sud-La...

This disembowelment was a ritual honorary suicide. Several other figures are present, including one holding a cushion on which a lacquer box rests with a scroll of paper (the verdict...

Probable a votive or ritual object with beautiful sculptural presence.

This piece demonstrates an exceptional sculptural quality and the wood chosen ritually to demonstrate the status of the owner. Elegant and decorative .

This antique Nepali Sukunda oil lamp is a fine example of 19th-century ritual bronze work from Nepal. Compact in size at 11.9 cm high, 5.5 cm wide, and 14.5 cm deep, and weighing 414...

They depict 12 traditional ritual attendants around the urns, topped with a dragon and the sun, plus the lid topped with the traditional avian figure.

Likely an implement mounted surrounding a stone ritual altar. A beautifully striking and truly evocative carving, speaking to the rituals of the Neolithic world.

Each door features intricately carved figures of celestial beings holding ritual offering vases, symbols of devotion and spirituality inherent in Burmese culture.

These vessels were typically used as water baths or ritual troughs in Buddhist or Taoist temples. The lotus petal border (visible around the base of the handle) is a classic symbol o...

Early 20th century, African A ritual object, dark brown carved wooden sculpture of a stylized human figure with a large and rounded head featuring a prominent brow, slit-like eyes, ...

This vessel, beautifully well intact, shows a bulbous formed body with hands reaching around the vessels body before ritual garments flow down the centre. The face, built as the urn ...

The Chin pole serves as a ritual totem, symbolizing the social status of community members and playing a vital role in ancestor worship.

An excellent addition to any collection of Burmese Buddhist art, Southeast Asian antiques, or ritual objects, this offering vessel beautifully combines historical importance, traditi...

While it bears a Japanese maker's mark on the base, the visual identity of this pot is intentionally styled to look like an ancient Chinese ritual vessel. During the Meiji period, Ja...

With rings on the corners, to carry the object or use it in rituals. Weight: 502 grams Originating from India

Incense made from dried aromatic plants and essential oils would be burned within the home to cleanse interiors and honor ancestors during ritual prayer. This antique Chinese cense...

In parts of South and Central America, ocarinas were used by shamans to communicate with the dead and supernatural. This ritual is still practiced today in some regions This piece...

Its charred surface indicates the black clay vessel was originally used for burning fragrant incense, plants or ritual offerings. The unusual censer was sculpted by hand in the sha...

Smaller bronze representations were also produced for household worship and as components of larger ritual furnishings, extending the presence of temple devotion into the domestic sp...

Between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, smoking (especially cigars) was a true male social ritual. Objects like this were designed to be both functional and conver...

The engravings thoughtfully depict not only the ritual species themselves but also the trees from which the Etrog and Lulav are derived, creating a harmonious visual interpretation o...

This antique Indian oil lamp is an elegant example of 19th-century ritual and decorative metalwork, originating from India.

The expressive folk character and architectural form are highly characteristic of early Indian ritual bronze casting traditions. Originally intended for devotional or temple use, the...

Its fine craftsmanship and historical character make it an attractive piece for collectors of Indian sacred art, ritual objects, and Asian antiques. Antique brass Indian throne Mate...

Their polished finish and finely wrought details would have made them a delightful table accent, enhancing the ritual of dining and adding a touch of sophistication to any setting.

The surface has the kind of wear I always hope to see on old ritual bronzes — softened edges, darker recessed areas, lighter highlights where hands touched it repeatedly over time.

This antique Nepali Sukunda oil lamp is a fine example of 19th-century Nepalese ritual metalwork, combining functional design with deep spiritual symbolism.

Their intentionally somber design tied directly into the theatrical and moral symbolism central to IOOF ritual practice during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Han Dynasty, China, 206 BCE–220 CE Terracotta tripod ding vessel modeled after ancient Chinese ritual bronze forms. Raised on three sturdy legs and fitted with loop handles and a dom...

At the foot of the cow rests what appears to be a mound of ritual offerings, a quietly powerful detail that speaks directly to the object’s long devotional life.

Aniconic stone weight, Bactria, Central Asia or Asia Minor These egg-shaped marble sculptures are mysterious in function, thought variously to be counter-weights or perhaps ritual i...

An exceptional and highly decorative early 20th-century antique Indian "Cheppu" (lidded ritual and dowry box), hailing from the historic, culturally rich Kerala region in Southwester...

These paintings were not originally intended as everyday decorative art, but rather as spiritual anchors for domestic Confucian cult rituals (jesa). They were meant to be reverenced,...

The composition presents a sacred yogic figure surrounded by esoteric symbols, including chakra-like energy centres, ritual diagrams, and subtle inscriptions that reflect the complex...

His presence enhances the lamp’s ritual significance, making it especially appropriate for ceremonial use.

A spectacular and truly unique work made from embroidered fabric with 13 ornamental metal (likely copper) heads representing various Tibetan figures attached (these heads appear to b...

The composition features elegant figural scenes of courtly life, where noblemen and ladies engage in tea rituals and conversation, offering a glimpse into refined social customs of i...

Such artifacts are often embedded with local stories and histories, serving as a connection to the traditions and rituals of Indian spirituality. As you light a candle within, the g...

Indeed, it is the reduced scale that suggests a ritual purpose rather than utilitarian one. Cf.

In Burmese tradition, offering vessels like this one are used in spiritual rituals, serving as containers for offerings to deities or spirits, symbolizing respect and devotion.

The combination of graceful form and intricate ornamentation makes it both a functional ritual object and an outstanding work of decorative art.

Traditionally played in pairs during monastic ceremonies, religious festivals and ritual processions, these long telescopic horns produce a deep, resonant tone said to echo across mo...

The composition is centered around a catafalque draped in rich red fabric, before which dignitaries clad in white togas gather in solemn contemplation, while other figures quietly wi...

Ancestor portraits played an important role in Chinese family life and ritual, preserving the likeness and status of family members for future generations.

Such sculptures were often used in ceremonial purposes, and they played a crucial role in rituals or as offerings in temples. This piece originates from a land steeped in a diverse ...

The central band features larger anthropomorphic figures with outstretched arms, possibly evoking communal unity or ritual dances. Interwoven with these are fantastical animals, some...

Typically depicting irregular geometric, anthropomorphic or zoomorphic forms, they are closely associated with Mayan religion and its elite ritual contexts. Many were deposited as ri...

This censer is identified as a Qing Dynasty agate example following the form of earlier ritual bronze vessels. The taotie masks carved on the body reference ancient Chinese ceremonia...

Ganesha's image has been favored in numerous rituals and festivals, making this statue not only a beautiful artifact but also a vital connection to the spiritual heritage of the regi...

Betelnut boxes hold significant cultural importance in various Asian societies, particularly in Myanmar, where chewing betel leaves is a common social ritual. This particular box, wi...

Indeed, it is the reduced scale that suggests a ritual purpose rather than utilitarian one. Cf. Cypriot juglet, The British Museum, acc. no. 1894,1101.15.

Frequently discovered in tombs and sanctuaries, they are thought to have served as votive or funerary offerings, symbolic representations of sustenance or ritual practice deposited t...