Cultural Figurines Across Civilizations

A collection of diverse cultural figurines, including a Benin court official, a Cham Avalokitesvara, and a Mayan deity, reflecting rich artistic traditions and historical significance.

Bronze Avalokitesvara from Binh Dinh, Cham art, from the 8th century, Saigon National Museum, Saigon, Vietnam, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Asia

Bronze Avalokitesvara from Binh Dinh, Cham art, from the 8th century, Saigon National Museum, Saigon, Vietnam, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Asia

Mayan figurine of a seated god. Artist: Unknown

Attendant bodhisattva China early 6th century

Male figurine 1400-1533 Inca This figurine depicts a man wearing a llautu, an Inca headdress often made of camelid wool, who is otherwise naked. The almond-shaped eyes, nose, and mouth, along with the ears with extended lobes that suggest they were fitted with spools and a small raised region on the proper left of mouth, indicating that the person depicted is actively chewing coca, a sacred plant whose consumption helps to fortify relationships among Andean peoples to the natural world and with each other (Allen 2002). The male figure stands upright with arms and hands brought in close to the chest. The figurine was likely fabricated and deposited as a huaca, a Quechua and Aymara term for a sacred being, and may have been part of a wider Inca offering to a huaca. One such type of offering was the Inca imperial practice of capac hucha, or royal obligation, involving the collection of materials and human beings to be offered in Cusco and their sacrifice there, in the Inca imperial center

Statuette of Osiris with the name of Padihorpere. Dimensions: H. 29 × W. 6.2 × D. 4.2 cm (11 7/16 × 2 7/16 × 1 5/8 in.). Dynasty: Dynasty 25-26. Date: ca. 712-525 B.C..A superb example of a bronze, this figure of Osiris is shown in his typical mummy form, wearing his tall plumed crown and holding the crook and flail of kingship. These elements were overlaid with gold, as was his face, neck, curled beard of divinity, broad festival collar, and pectoral, the latter of which bears an image of the solar bark. The upper part of the body is covered with a bead net pattern, and a divine falcon is depicted on the back, with its wings wrapped around the lower body. At the waist is an amulet in the form of Ma'at, goddess of the cosmic order, and a cartouche enclosing the name of Osiris adorns the knees. At the god's feet is a winged beetle. On the base are nine bows, representing the traditional "enemies" of Egypt, and a pattern of hieroglyphs runs around the sides and back. The "Priest of Amu

Osiris 664-30 BC Late Period-Ptolemaic Period Osiris, foremost of the Egyptian funerary gods and ruler of the underworld, stands upright and wears one of the most elaborate versions of his atef crown, complete with a uraeus on either side of the feathers and ram horns. Further uraei (two pairs) hang beneath the horns on each side. The beard is attached with a chin strap. The god is dressed in a close-fitting enveloping garment that conforms to his arms and shoulders. He holds the royal crook and flail with his hands poised symmetrically with the fists touching. The area around the hands is roughly carved, but the details of the crown, beard, broad collar and streamer, attributes, and bracelets are well defined.Osiris statuettes such as this one were some of the most abundant temple offerings in Egypt by the first millennium B.C., reflecting both the gods importance and changing cult practices that spurred the wide-scale dedication of deity statuettes. Many statues of Osiris were offer

Standing Four-Armed Vishnu early 12th century Cambodia. Standing Four-Armed Vishnu 39133

Ushabti

Thailand / China: Yao shaman's mask from northern Thailand. The Yao nationality (its great majority branch is also known as Mien) is a government classification for various minorities in China. They form one of the 55 ethnic minority groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China, where they reside in the mountainous terrain of the southwest and south. They also form one of the 54 ethnic groups officially recognized by Vietnam. In the last census, they numbered 2,637,421 in China, and roughly 470,000 in Vietnam. In Thailand they number 40,000 and in Laos 20,000.

Statuette of the God Horus as a Child (Harpokrates) 700 BCE-1 BCE Egypt. The child god Horus was worshipped as the hero-to-be who would avenge his fatherís murder. Horus also symbolized eternal life through his role as the sun, battling evil at night to rise triumphant every morning. The Greek form of the Egyptian ìHorus the Childî is ìHarpokrates.î The godís youth is indicated by his side lock of hair and his finger touching his mouth. The Greeks and later the Romans worshipped him with his parents as part of a growing interest in mystery cults promising a true and real life after death.. Bronze . Ancient Egyptian

Standing Bodhisattva Maitreya, the Buddha of the Future ca. 8th-9th century Thailand (Buriram Province, Prakhon Chai). Standing Bodhisattva Maitreya, the Buddha of the Future. Thailand (Buriram Province, Prakhon Chai). ca. 8th-9th century. Bronze with high-tin content or silver alloy. Sculpture

Standing Buddha image, classic Pagan Style, Myanmar Burma, Asia

Mexico, Vera Cruz, statue of Cihuateteo, Celestial Princess

The Benin Empire (1440-1897) was a pre-colonial African state in what is now modern Nigeria. It is not to be confused with the modern-day country called Benin (and formerly called Dahomey).

Ushabti

Handicraft, tribal art Copyright: xDayaramxChawda/DinodiaxPhotox

Buddha Shakyamuni. Laos, 17th-18th century. Sculpture. Copper alloy

Statue of Isis a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingdom (c.2686 - c.2181 BCE) as one of the main characters of the Osiris myth, in which she resurrects her slain brother and husband, the divine king Osiris, and produces and protects his heir, Horus. She was believed to help the dead enter the afterlife

Head of Harihara 7th century, style of Phnom Da in Cambodia. sandstone, sculpture. Harihara is the name of a combined deity form of both Vishnu (Hari) and Shiva ( Hara) from the Hindu tradition. Also known as Shankaranarayana

Head of Bodhisattva 8th century China. Head of Bodhisattva 61534

Female with Small Figure 15th-19th century Dogon peoples. Female with Small Figure 312269

Maize Deity (Chicomecoatl) 15th-early 16th century Aztec. Maize Deity (Chicomecoatl) 307641

Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara 1050-1066 Cambodia. Sandstone .

Osun Osun, goddess of fresh water and rivers, accompanied by attendants, Yoruba, Nigeria 1920, carved and painted wood, MEB, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain LicenseRF Copyright: xZoonar.com/Tolox 23171368

Osiris-Iah 664-30 B.C. Late Period-Ptolemaic Period Osiris-Iah is a form of Osiris specifically linked to the moon, a feature made explicit in this figure through the crown, which represents the moon disk resting on the crescent moon, thereby encompassing the moon in all of its phases. Hanging uraei further elaborate the crown. The statuette conforms to the standard iconography for this deity in which he is shown with the moon crown, striding, and wearing a short kilt. As a variant on the base iconography, he also carries a wadjet eye on his chest. Osiris-Iah can also be shown seated and wearing a mummiform garment with the same crown, such as on 1971.272.15. The god Osiris is linked to the moon because, as the moon changes from crescent to full from month to month, it recalls Osiris continual rebirth and regeneration. Powers of rebirth and regeneration are also associated with the wadjet eye, making it a particularly appropriate attribute for this god.. Osiris-Iah 570701

The bodhisattva Lokeshvara. This head was found near the western gate of the walled city of Angkor Thom. In the late 12th century the bodhisattva Lokeshvara was particularly revered there. The heads distinctive expression, with closed eyes and a blissful smile, is typical of figures fromthis period of Cambodian art.

Harpokrates in a double crown. Dimensions: H. 12.7 cm (5 in.); W. 3.7 cm (1 7/16 in.); D. 5.9 cm (2 5/16 in.). Date: 664-30 B.C..The figure represents a child god in a seated/reclining position, wearing the double crown, which alludes to his royal status. The child god is distinguished from adult gods by a range of iconographic clues: his nudity, the finger raised to the mouth (a child-like gesture), and the sidelock on the right side of his head. Child gods grew in popularity and cult from the Third Intermediate Period onwards, rivaling even the most powerful and ancient gods, especially as temple offerings. Without an inscription, it can be very difficult to securely distinguish and identify particular child gods, but here the double crown identifies the god as Harpokrates (Horus the Child), who was the son of Osiris and Isis. The empty socket at the front of his crown indicates where the red crown's front spiral originally attached. This royal crown symbolizes the union of Lower a

Buddha. Cup of Buddha or Deity in the Bayon style. On base.

Tomb guardian in form of a civil official Korea 19th century During the Joseon dynasty in Korea, the commemoration of ancestors through ritual took on a new significance. Stone sculptures of human figures and animals were placed around grave mounds to honor and guard the tomb. This example was one of a pair. The figure wears the robe and hat of a civil official. He holds an audience tablet, lifted with both hands and held below his chin. This pose, along with his slightly hunched shoulders, indicates respect and humility. View more. Tomb guardian in form of a civil official. Korea. 19th century. Granite. Joseon dynasty (1392-1910). Sculpture

Ptah 664-30 B.C. Late Period-Ptolemaic Period This statuette depicts Ptah, the chief god of Egypt's capital city Memphis and master craftsman of the gods. He is easy to identify by his tight-fitting cap, straight beard (different from the usual curved divine beard on other gods), and enveloping mummiform garment. The garment has a stiff upper edge along the back of the neck, a feature that occurs with some regularity also on Osiris statuettes, but its meaning is unclear. He is richly adorned with a broad collar and bracelets, and he carries a scepter. Ptah was a benevolent and approachable god, characteristics that may have inspired his devotees to dedicate numerous representations of him in the Late and Ptolemaic Periods.. Ptah 552069

Standing Bodhisattva, probably Avalokiteshvara ca. 8th century Thailand. Standing Bodhisattva, probably Avalokiteshvara 39094

Nativity figure, king

Ushabti

The bodhisattva Lokeshvara, anonymous, 1175 - 1250 Excerpt (head) of Bodhissatva Lokeshvara with the typical bayon-glimmer; Buddha Amithaba's image for the headdress. Cambodia sandstone Excerpt (head) of Bodhissatva Lokeshvara with the typical bayon-glimmer; Buddha Amithaba's image for the headdress. Cambodia sandstone

ceramic figurine of a Mayan dancer found at Jaina, Campeche, Mexico 600-900 AD

God Vishnu 1001-1100 Cambodia. Sandstone .

post-classical, Mayan, Anthropomorphic (ceramic) incense burner alluding to the four cardinal points and the centre of the cosmos. Mayapan, Yucatan, Mexico. 1250-1550 AD

Emperor Ojin became the crown prince at the age of four. He was crowned (in 270) at the age of 70 and reigned for 40 years until his death in 310. He supposedly lived in two palaces both of which are in present day Osaka. Ōjin is traditionally identified as the father of Emperor Nintoku, who acceded after Ōjin's death. Ōjin has been deified as Hachiman Daimyōjin, regarded as the guardian of warriors. The Hata Clan considered him their guardian Kami. The actual site of Ōjin's grave is not known, but he is traditionally venerated at a memorial Shinto shrine (misasagi) at Osaka. The Imperial Household Agency designates this location as Ōjin's mausoleum. It is formally named Eega no Mofushi no oka no misasagi.

Male Figure (Moai Kavakava) Rapa Nui people mid to late 19th century

Standing Buddha 8th century Thailand (Si Thep). Standing Buddha 37409

Standing Male Deity second half of the 11th century Cambodia. Standing Male Deity 39166

Water Deity (Chalchiuhtlicue). Culture: Aztec. Dimensions: H. 11 5/8 × W. 7 1/8 × D. 5 1/2 in. (29.5 × 18.1 × 14 cm). Date: 15th-early 16th century.The finely carved figure belongs to a sizable group of kneeling females that display costume elements identifying them as water deities called Chalchiuhtlicue ("she of the jade skirt") in Nahuatl, the language spoken by the Aztecs. In Aztec religion, the water goddess was the wife of the rain god Tlaloc, an ancient deity that had long been worshipped throughout Mesoamerica. Chalchiuhtlicue symbolized the purity and preciousness of spring, river, and lake water that was used to irrigate the fields. As a fertility goddess, she portrays the Aztec ideal of fertile young womanhood. Most typical of the water goddess costume is the distinctive headdress consisting of multiple thick bands, probably cotton, wound about the head and bordered above and below by rows of balls and two large tassels attached to the sides of the head. In back, the bands a

Gold lime flasks (poporos) Quimbaya culture, Colombia AD 600-1100 These figures are in fact flasks, made to hold lime made from seashells. A small stick was inserted in the top to remove thelime, which was taken with coca leaves as a stimulant to aid clear thinking. The figures hold spiral motifs which may indicate sprouting vegetation and suggests that they were used in fertility rituals.

Mayan ceramic figurine of an enthroned noble or leader, from Yucatan, Mexico. 600-900AD

A goddess; 19th century (1801-00-00-1900-00-00);

NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LA MAJESTAD - SIGLO XII - VIRGEN ROMANICA. Location: CATEDRAL DE SANTA MARIA. ASTORGA. LEON. SPANIEN.

Pendant: Saint Anthony of Padua 16th-19th century Kongo peoples; Kongo Kingdom This brass pendant of St. Anthony of Padua holding the infant Christ is an exceptional example of the casting prowess of Kongo artists. The diminutive size of this brass object and the loop posited at the tip of its inverted triangular hood indicate that it is a pendant. Originally cast with crisp detail, portions of the figure are now shiny and worn, suggesting that the pendant came into contact with the skin through active wear, or that it was repeatedly handled. Altogether, the saints impression is one of calm alertness, like that of the wide-eyed Christ child, who looks forward as he stretches out his arm across the chest of the elder saint, gesturing towards the outlined crucifix in the saints right hand. Though only an infant, Christ is half the size of the saint, emphasizing his importance in Christian theology. His physical proximity to the cross alludes to his future sacrifice, as does the goldfin

Wooden statue of Lokanatha dating from the 12th or 13th century, Bagan Museum, Bagan Pagan, Myanmar Burma, Asia

Standing Nagaraja (Serpent King) ca. mid- 5th century India (Uttar Pradesh or Madhya Pradesh) Nagas (serpent deities) are associated with water and agricultural abundance, but at the same time they are venomous and bring floods and destruction. Serpent worship goes back to remote antiquity and numerous representations of nagarajas (serpent kings) are known from as early as the second century B.C. Thus it is not surprising that with the emergence of the Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist religious traditions we see the integration of naga deities. Although the names of many nagarajas are preserved in Indian literature, specific identification is difficult unless the sculpture is inscribed.. Standing Nagaraja (Serpent King). India (Uttar Pradesh or Madhya Pradesh). ca. mid- 5th century. Red sandstone. Gupta period. Sculpture

Helmet, late 1800s - early 1900s. Africa, West Africa, Nigeria, Yorùbá peoples. Wood and paint; overall: 62.9 cm (24 3/4 in.). This type of helmet used by the Oro association, is often mistaken for the more common Egungun. While Egungun masquerades are performed to honor an individual's ancestors, Oro masquerades are performed in conjunction with the actual funeral of a Yoruba person. The Oro association is very secretive, and the visibility of helmets like this one is generally restricted. Oro is also responsible for carrying out criminal sentences, such as collecting fines, repossessing goods, and executing those convicted of a capital crime. The female figure suspended from the back of the horns may reference the victims of Oro executions. This work has been attributed to the Esubiyi School of Abeokuta, founded about 1860.

Ganesha, elephant god in Hinduism and Buddhism, Museum Island Hombroich musem, Neuss, Lower Rhine, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, Europe

Jizō Bosatsu 13th century Japan. Jizō Bosatsu 49111

Brahma with Silver Eyes 9th century Indonesia (Java). Brahma with Silver Eyes 39009

A Buddha. Burma (Myanmar), 8th century or later. Sculpture. Copper alloy

Akhenathon in offering attitude, from Tell-el-Amarna

Franciscan wearing a habit and holding a sacred book, detail from the ambo in the St John of the Bull, Ravello, Campania, Italy, 13th-14th century.

Standing Deity (Vishnu) 8th-9th century Indonesia (Sumatra). Standing Deity (Vishnu) 39120

Ramsesnakht writing inspired by god Thot, from Karnak

The mummified god Osiris wearing the atef crown, uraeus, the scepter and the scourge in bronze, late Egyptian period,Huesca museum, Aragon community, Spain.

Zoroastrian Priest with a Mask(Padam)

Statue of Bodhisattva China. Statue of Bodhisattva. China. Limestone. Tang dynasty (618-907). Sculpture

Fragment of a Buddha image. Cup of Buddha with broken crown.

Thilbu-Figur, die spirituelle Kräfte verkörpert Thilbu figure embodying spiritual forces, Lobi, Burkina Faso, 20th century, carved wood, MEB, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain LicenseRF Copyright: xZoonar.com/Tolox 23171489

Bodhisattva Lokesvara. Last quarter of the 10th century - early 11th century. Style Khleang, Cambodia (late 10th-early 11th century). Sandstone sculpture

Daishōgun 11th-12th century Japan Daishōgun (Great General) was a popular guardian spirit stationed at vulnerable locations in the capital of Kyoto, such as the northeast, where special shrines were established according to Onmyodō, or Chinese concepts of the yin-yang order of the universe. The deep and simple modeling of a single block of wood suggests a product of the later Heian period. Traces of the original finish on the face and torso reveal that the figure was once bearded, red-faced, and clothed in Japanese-style armor over a patterned garment.. Daishōgun 42590

post-classical, Mayan, Anthropomorphic (ceramic) incense burner alluding to the four cardinal points and the centre of the cosmos. Mayapan, Yucatan, Mexico. 1250-1550 AD

Ritual Figure 380-246 B.C. Late Period or Early Ptolemaic Period The fluid pose and chest-beating gesture of this extraordinary figure evoke a stately performance. Egyptian relief representations depict such figures as part of a troupe of similarly genuflecting divine beings with falcon and jackal heads. This troupe is usually seen attending the sunrise or the birth and coronation of a king; three-dimensional figures of the same type were set around the processional shrines of certain gods, doubtlessly to accompany the epiphany of the deity during a procession.It is not easy to explain the presence among the animal-headed divinities of the human-headed figure wearingas seen herethe regalia of a pharaoh. Some scholars interpret the figure as the representation of an actual king. Others understand it as a mythical being that introduces royal aspects into the otherworldly ritual. Whatever its exact meaning, this masterpiece of wood carving was certainly part of a temple's equipment. Its

Stone Huaxtec female deity

Standing Avalokiteshvara 10th-11th century() Indonesia (Sumatra). Standing Avalokiteshvara 39238

Goddess Neith. Associated with maternity and child birth.

A Buddhist image made of bronze found at nearby Andong, Kyeongsang-Bukdo region, South Korea. From the period of Old Silla Kingdom (57 BCE - 668 AD)

Vishnu from Phnom Da, Khmer Art from the 7th and 8th centuries, National Museum of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Asia

Anthropomorphic polychrome terracotta vessel in shape of priest holding sacrificial animals, Pre-Inca civilization, Peru, Moche culture

Seated bodhisattva China. Seated bodhisattva. China. Bronze. Northern Wei dynasty (386-534) or later. Sculpture

Statuette of Isis nursing Horus (missing above the legs), inscribed for Hor son of Padihorresnet 611-594 B.C. Late Period, Saite This figure of Isis, now missing all but the lower legs of the nursing figure of the child that was seated on her lap, has an exceptionally fine countenance. The slightly slanted eyes and upturned lips characteristic of the 26th Dynasty are combined here with the extended brow and eyelines suitable to a divinity. The goddess wears the horned headdress that by the Late Period she had adopted from the goddess Hathor as well as the vulture cap that emphasized the maternal role of goddesses. The small base under her feet bears an inscription asking that "great Isis" give life, prosperity, and health to the "Chamberlain of the Divine Consort, Hor, son of the Prince, Count, Overseer of Upper Egypt, Overseer of the Great House of the Divine Consort, Padihorresnet." Although Hor is not well known, his father, Padihorresnet, was the highest official of Nitocris, the G

Standing Buddha India. Standing Buddha 72384

The Half-Male, Half-Female Form of Shiva (Shiva Ardhanarishvara) ca. 921-45 Cambodia. The Half-Male, Half-Female Form of Shiva (Shiva Ardhanarishvara) 38297

Head of Buddha 1st-2nd century India. Head of Buddha 38740

Standing-striding figure of Akhenaten or Tutankhamen New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty around 1340-1330 BC Wood, Gold

Attendant of Surya late 6th century India. Attendant of Surya 39123

Figure of a heavenly king, anonymous, 618 - 906 One of the watchmen of the four corners () (No attributes). China bronze (metal). gilding (material) gilding One of the watchmen of the four corners () (No attributes). China bronze (metal). gilding (material) gilding

detail of a stone relief showing a Buddhist woman at prayer; from the cave Buddhist temple III at Aurangabad, India 6th century

A Nagaraja or Balarama () Sheltered by a Serpent

The bird shaman - Natturalik (Golden Eagle) by Kiugak Ashoona

Bronze Thai Budda 17th-18th Century, Thailand

Nootka Sound Native American figure of a man wearing a bear's skin. Artist: Unknown

Standing Buddha China. Standing Buddha 61512

ARTE PRECOLOMBINO. PERU. " TUMI DE ORO Y TURQUESAS DE TIPO CEREMONIAL". REPRESENTACION DEL DIOS NAYLASP. ESTILO CHIMU. MUSEO ORO DEL PERU. LIMA.

Head of a Buddha image, anonymous, 1600 - 1699 Fragment (head) of Buddha with broken crown. Thailand bronze (metal) Fragment (head) of Buddha with broken crown. Thailand bronze (metal)

The Hjortsberga bishop. 12th century sculpture shows a bishop in his robes of office. Swedish History Museum. Stockholm, Sweden.

Sukia, Shaman inhaling psychotropic substances, from Costa Rica. Dated 11th Century

Standing Bodhisattva. Northern Qi Dynasty (550-577). It comes from the Shanxi Province (China). Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York. United States.

Vintage Photograph. Small wooden carved statue of Native American male figure wearing headdress with arm raised, Frame 4

fetish in Lobi village, Burkina faso fetish used to protect Lobi village, Burkina faso Copyright: xZoonar.com/MassimoxLamax 11155481

Shinto priest, late 18th century, Unknown Japanese, 3 3/4 x 1 1/16 x 3/4in. (9.5 x 2.7 x 1.9cm), Wood, Japan, 18th century

Royal or divine figure with high conical headdress ca. 18th-17th century B.C. The close relationship between the divine patriarch El and his earthly counterpart, the Syrian king, may be expressed in this male figure wearing a wrapped mantle with thickly rolled borders and a version of the Egyptian white crown. As the eternal king, he may wear the Mesopotamian horns of divinity or the Egyptian white crown. As a mortal ruler, this figure may appear in the presence of such deities as the weather god and the Syrian goddess with the square miter. Examples appear on the cylinder seals rolled on tablets at the city of Alalakh, an important center in northwestern Syria.. Royal or divine figure with high conical headdress. ca. 18th-17th century B.C.. Bronze. Middle Bronze Age. Syria-Levant

Amulet - Ptah karzeł. unknown, author

19th century wooden figure of a Hawaiian god

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