Ashmolean Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

This is a selection of objects that can be used to explore the themes of personal devotion in several world religions. This might be particularly helpful as a teaching resource, and can be downloaded in the form of a PDF document.

You could consider:

• What is the object, and what was it used for?
• Who might have used this object, and where?
• Are any symbols used, and if so how do they express belief?

Buddhism

Reliquary with lotus ornament amid flames (EA2006.90) Basin used for a Buddhist hand-washing ceremony (EA2002.32)

Seated figure of a bodhisattva (EA1956.1376) Votive plaque of the Buddha (EAX.2509)

Christianity

Head of the Virgin Mary (EA1963.181) Madonna and Child by a flowering tree (EA1999.9) Saint John the Evangelist (EA1978.2597)

Hinduism

Figure of Vishnu in the lotus (EAX.285) Incense holder in the form of Garuda (EAX.281) Portable shrine of Vishnu as Venkateshwara (EAX.264)

Islam

Qur’an in muhaqqaq and naskhi script (volume 11 of 30) (EA2012.86) Qibla compass (EA1992.41)   Prayer rug with niche (EA1978.1392)

Jainism

Portable shrine of the Tirthankara Parshvanatha (EAOS.109)

Judaism

Breastplate, or shield, of a Torah (EAX.309)