Antique Ritual

A compartmented drawer retains spaces for inkwells and desk accessories, offering a glimpse into the daily rituals of 19th-century letter writing. The original green leather writing ...

The unique styling of the Nandi Bull in this piece suggests its significance in temple architecture and rituals, where such statues were commonly placed as a symbol of reverence.

The thangka retains a beautiful aged surface, with the gentle fading and wear that can only be achieved through centuries of history and ritual use. Such early Tibetan paintings are ...

Details are limited to the essential minimum, allowing the essential elegance of the forms to stand out and underscoring the spiritual or ritual subtext of the object. Careful work w...

Created by the Chin peoples of western Burma, such poles served as important ritual and commemorative monuments within traditional village life.

Figures like this are sometimes linked to domestic ritual use — possibly household effigies or offering bearers.

Such statues often played a role in religious rituals, serving as offerings or guardians of the divine space.

Historically, the Shan people have utilized offering vessels in spiritual practices, particularly in Buddhist rituals, symbolizing respect and devotion. This piece serves both functi...

Hachas, getting their name from the word for axe, were ritual stone sculptures used in the Mayan ceremonial ball game, typically, in similar form to this example, with a notch in the...

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...

This offering vessel, traditionally used for presenting offerings to the Buddha and other deities, reflects the reverence associated with these rituals. Its elaborate carvings and vi...

The soft hand-colouring and delicate stipple technique lend it a painterly quality, while the subject itself feels timeless—an ode to everyday rituals that continue to shape city lif...

The richly layered composition combines symbolic architecture, swirling cloud forms, and ceremonial offerings to create an image intended for both meditation and ritual practice. Pr...

  Towering on its stand, standing at 12” high, this is a very large example of early stone ritual statuary from Egypt. Old break and solid repair on the tail portion, solid con...

This sculptural object is the lid to a Ming-dynasty (1368-1644) offering jar from Yunnan province, a Buddhist vessel for ritual offerings such as coins, shells, flowers and grains.

Traditionally associated with the Chin peoples of western Burma, such poles served as important ritual and commemorative monuments within the community.

Roseland is best known for his intimate domestic scenes — particularly those depicting women engaged in everyday rituals, moments of counsel, or acts of caregiving.

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

Historically, altars like this one were used in Hindu temples and homes to honor deities and facilitate prayer rituals. The detailed design, characterized by ornate arches and column...

Indeed, it is the reduced scale that suggests a ritual purpose rather than utilitarian one. Cf. Blackware juglet, Frances Lehman Loeb Art Centre, no.

A powerful and ethnographically significant example of Central African ritual sculpture, this nail-studded zoomorphic figure is a Kozo — a Janus-headed dog nkisi (power object) of th...

Indeed, it is the reduced scale that suggests a ritual purpose rather than utilitarian one. Cf. Miniature pottery vase, Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, acc. no. 34-30-4...

This is a verybrare example of a 19th century ritually used Zulu Knobkerrie. Carved from very dense wood and complete with wire binding demonstrating the status of the owner.

18/19thC Tibetan Buddhist Ritual Implements Set in Triangular Iron Box An exceptional and rare antique Tibetan Buddhist ritual implements set, finely cast in iron or steel, housed i...

During Joseon dynasty, the social morals were largely centered on the principles of Confucianism that originated from China. Many ritual ceramic wares were produced for rituals and w...

Its balanced proportions and utilitarian design reflect the close relationship between daily life and ritual practice within prehistoric agrarian society.

It was initially used for funerary and ritual objects usually buried in the graves of high-ranking and powerful dignitaries/people.

Thangkas of this subject were traditionally created for meditation, teaching, and ritual practice within Tibetan Buddhist monasteries.

A remarkable late 19th-century Tibetan thangka depicting an intricate Three Circle Mandala, a sophisticated form of Buddhist sacred geometry used as a visual aid for meditation, ritu...

This imagery draws directly from classical Roman mythology, representing Bacchus, the god of wine, ritual madness, and ecstasy. This was a highly popular motif for period dining tabl...

It was initially used for funerary and ritual objects usually buried in the graves of high-ranking and powerful dignitaries/people.

These heavy glasses were used in French bistros, bars, and cafes, in the ritual of drinking the addictive beverage called, ‘la fée verte’ – the green fairy.

Traditionally, these boxes were used to contain betelnut and other items, which played a ceremonial role in social gatherings and rituals. The technique of lacquerware involves laye...

Each piece tells a story, encapsulating the values and practices of a society that has cherished this ritual for generations. With a weight of 641 grams, it stands as a beautiful rep...

Hand-carved from wood and dating to the 19th century, this piece would have served as a domestic or ceremonial temple, providing a sacred space for the worship of Hindu deities and t...

Subsequent wheel polishing and immersion in hydrochloric acid create a softly frosted finish, enhancing the luminous, almost ritual quality of the object. Item #: EL-19494 Artist: E...

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

Dawenkou–Longshan Culture, Shandong Province, China, c. 3000–2000 BCE Terracotta tripod vessel known as a Gui (鬶), representing one of the earliest ritual ceramic forms developed in ...

The naturally aged surface, areas of pigment loss and weathered texture contribute to its historic character, offering a glimpse into the craftsmanship and ritual practices of ancien...

The use of such boxes reflects local customs and the importance of betelnut in social gatherings and rituals. Lacquerware in Burma dates back centuries, known for its durability and...

It also has a great deal of ritual wear, especially on the high points. The surface has been softened down from handling over a very long period of time, which somehow makes the figu...

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

Betelnut, a significant part of Burmese culture, has been chewed for centuries for its stimulant effects and social rituals. The use of such boxes became widespread among various com...

While the face is obscured from significant ritual wear from more than a millennia of devotion, the sculpture retains remarkable authority and presence.

Bronze bells such as this were integral to ritual practices, court ceremonies, and ancestral worship, serving both musical and symbolic functions.

Antique Tibetan Tantric Ritual Mirror in Copper and Bronze, 18th/19th Century or Earlier An extraordinary and highly refined Tibetan Tantric ritual mirror, dating to the 18th/19th c...

The panel’s provenance is further enhanced by photographs of the original temple chariot from which it came, connecting the piece directly to its ritual context. Ideal for collectors...

Elegant, practical, and exceptionally sophisticated, this rare three-piece ensemble reflects the ritual and refinement of early 20th-century gentlemanly travel and smoking culture.

Dallahs of this type occupied an important place within the social rituals of the Levant and Gulf regions, where the preparation and serving of coffee symbolised generosity, hospital...

The pieces are very diverse, including vessels, human figures, animals, architectural models, and ritual objects. All were buried for the afterlife, their locations forgotten over t...

This antique glass scent bottle reflects the refinement and personal rituals of the Victorian and Edwardian periods through its elegant proportions and decorative craftsmanship.

Punch bowls of this size were among the most prized objects of the China trade, made for the dining and entertaining rituals of prosperous European and American households, and survi...

Instead of being buried deep underground with the deceased, haniwa occupied and marked the open surfaces of the colossal tombs but as the tombs were sacred, ritualized spaces they we...

Their appeal has also grown alongside the renewed interest in decorative butter, traditional table rituals, and objects that reveal how ordinary foods were once prepared and presente...

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

The surface has exactly the kind of wear I hope for on old ritual objects. Not over-cleaned, not overly preserved, just honestly aged. .

A lively depiction of a post-banya ritual, showing figures plunging into the snow after bathing.