Intersections

Arts for Spiritual Transcendence

Many cultures around the world use art to cope with life’s mysteries and misfortunes. Some objects serve as agents of change or as abodes for spirits. Properly constructed and addressed or worshipped, such works of art may prompt the spirit to act. In most world religions, sculptures made for temples, shrines, and churches are intended as focal points for devotion. Their iconography makes them accessible to a wide range of followers, and their role is to mediate between human and divine realms.

The ability of a work of art to solicit spiritual aid is not restricted to formal world religions but is also observed in local contexts through objects of personal assistance and devotion. Throughout Africa figures are made to heal and protect individuals and their families. The Japanese ema and Mexican retablo also help believers to transcend obstacles such as illness, bereavement, or other problems, and their detailed iconography often indicates the intervention sought or provided.

X64.118a,b Bottle

X64.118a,b Bottle

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Object Name: Bottle

Artist: Unknown

Cultural Group: Yaka peoples

Place of Origin: Democratic Republic of the Congo

Date: 19th century

Dimensions: H: 8.50 cm, W: 6.00 cm, D: 6.00 cm

Materials Used: Wood, beads, string

Credit Line and Accession Number: Fowler Museum at UCLA. Museum purchase. X64.118a,b

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X65.7493 Figure

X65.7493 Figure

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Figure
Songye peoples
Democratic Republic of the Congo
19th century
Wood, metal, reptile skin, hide
H: 16.50 cm, W: 4.40 cm, D: 7.00 cm (H: 6.5 in, W: 1.7 in, D: 2.8 in)
Gift of the Wellcome Trust. X65.7493

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X65.7497 Female with child

X65.7497 Female with child

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Not Currently On View in Intersections

Female with child
Yombe peoples
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Late 19th century
Wood and glass
H: 40.0 cm, W: 11.4 cm, D: 11.0 cm (H: 15.7 in, W: 4.5 in, D: 4.3 in)
Gift of the Wellcome Trust. X65.7497

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X65.7498 Seated male figure

X65.7498 Seated male figure

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Object Name: Seated male figure

Artist: Unknown

Culture: Yombe peoples

Place of Origin: Democratic Republic of the Congo

Date/Era: Late 19th century

Medium/Materials: Wood and glass

Dimensions: H: 30.5 cm, W: 9.5 cm, D: 12.0 cm (H: 12.0 in, W: 3.7 in, D: 4.7 in)

Credit Line: Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of the Wellcome Trust.

Accession Number: X65.7498

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X65.8501 Power figure (nkisi)

X65.8501 Power figure (nkisi)

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Power figure (nkisi)
Yombe peoples
Democratic Republic of the Congo
18th-19th century
Wood, mirror, resin, glass, cane, fiber, seedpod, jawbone
H: 25.5 cm, W: 12.5 cm, D: 13.0 cm (H: 10.0 in, W: 4.9 in, D: 5.1 in)
Gift of the Wellcome Trust. X65.8501

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X67.879 Power figure (nkisi)

X67.879 Power figure (nkisi)

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Object Name: Power figure (nkisi)

Artist: Unknown

Culture: Yombe peoples

Place of Origin: Democratic Republic of the Congo

Date/Era: 18th-19th century

Medium/Materials: Wood, camwood, pigment, mirror, fiber, metal, chain

Dimensions: H: 26.5 cm, W: 22.0 cm, D: 17.0 cm (H: 10.4 in, W: 8.6 in, D: 6.7 in)

Credit Line: Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of the Wellcome Trust.

Accession Number: X67.879

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X74.1212 Retablo

X74.1212 Retablo

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Retablo
Mexico
Late 19th century
Tin and paint
L: 26.5 cm, H: 36.0 cm (L: 10.4 in, H: 14.2 in)
Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of Mr. Leonard J. Field. X74.1212

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X74.1215 Retablo

X74.1215 Retablo

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Retablo
Mexico
Early 20th century
Tin and paint
L: 23.0 cm, H: 28.0 cm (L: 9.1 in, H: 11.0 in)
Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of Mr. Leonard J. Field. X74.1215

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X74.1433 Yogini figure

X74.1433 Yogini figure

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Yogini figure
Central India, Madhya Pradesh or Uttar Pradesh
Circa 1000 C.E.
Sandstone
H: 89.0 cm, W: 47.3 cm, D: 28.0 cm (H: 35 in, W: 18.6 in, D: 11.0 in)
Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Lenart. X74.1433

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X74.L360 Priest’s staff (tunggal panaluan)

X74.L360 Priest’s staff (tunggal panaluan)

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Object Name: Priest’s staff (tunggal panaluan)

Artist: Unknown

Culture: Batak peoples

Place of Origin: Sumatra, Indonesia

Date/Era: 19th to early 20th century

Medium/Materials: Wood, feathers, cotton cloth, hair

Dimensions: H: 180 cm

Credit Line: Fowler Museum at UCLA. Miguel Covarrubias Collection.

Accession Number: X74.L360

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X75.58a-c Buddha figure

X75.58a-c Buddha figure

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Buddha figure
Sagaing, Burma
17th century
Gilded lacquer and wood
Total Height: 123.0 cm, H: 106.0 cm, W: 66.5 cm, D: 36.0 cm (Total: 48.4 in, H: 41.7 in, W: 26.2 in, D: 14.2 in)
Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of Mr. Louis Resnik. X75.58a-c

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X78.1719 Female figure with child

X78.1719 Female figure with child

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Female figure with child (mbulenga)
Lulua peoples
Democratic Republic of the Congo
19th century
Wood, pins, camwood
H: 16.5 cm, D: 3.2 cm (H: 6.5 in, D: 1.3 in)
Gift of Lee and Dona Bronson. X78.1719

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X80.202ab Santo figure (Virgin of the Rosary)

X80.202ab Santo figure (Virgin of the Rosary)

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Object Name: Santo figure (Virgin of the Rosary)

Artist: Unknown

Place of Origin: Guatemala

Date/Era: Early 20th century

Dimensions: Total Height: 65.0 cm, H: 55.0 cm, W: 22.3 cm, D: 17.2 cm (Total Height: 25.9 in, H: 21.6 in, W: 8.7 in)

Medium/Materials: Wood, paint, metal

Credit Line: Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of Mr. James H. Kindel, Jr.

Accession Number: X80.202ab

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X80.875a,b Figure

X80.875a,b Figure

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Figure
Songye peoples
Democratic Republic of the Congo
19th century
Wood, pigment, cowrie shells, vegetable fiber, nails, metal, horn
Total Height: 91.0 cm, H: 70.0 cm, W: 17.0 cm, D: 20.0 cm (Total: 35.8 in, H: 27.6 in, W: 6.7 in, D: 7.9 in)
Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Lionel Bell. X80.875a,b

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X82.1541 Santo, San Jacinto

X82.1541 Santo, San Jacinto

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Santo, San Jacinto
Philippines
19th century
Wood and paint
H: 129.0 cm, W: 45.0 cm, D: 33.0 cm (H: 50.8 in, W: 17.7 in, D: 12.9 in)
Gift of Mrs. Elizabeth Lloyd Davis. X82.1541

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X85.974 Figure (pindi)

X85.974 Figure (pindi)

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Object Name: Figure (pindi)

Artist: Unknown

Culture: Mbala peoples

Place of Origin: Democratic Republic of the Congo

Date/Era: 19th to early 20th century

Medium/Materials: Wood and camwood powder

Dimensions: H: 30.5 cm, W: 13.1 cm, D: 11.3 cm (H: 12.0 in, W: 5.2 in, D: 4.5 in)

Credit Line: Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of Jerome L. Joss.

Accession Number: X85.974

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X86.1947 Figure

X86.1947 Figure

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Figure
Yaka peoples
Democratic Republic of the Congo
19th century
Wood
W: 5.8 cm, H: 29.8 cm, D: 7.1 cm (W: 2.3 in, H: 11.7 in, D: 2.8 in)
Fowler Museum at UCLA. Anonymous gift. X86.1947

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X87.1440 Figure

X87.1440 Figure

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Figure
Songye peoples
Democratic Republic of the Congo
19th century
Wood, copper, antelope horn
H: 31.5 cm, W: 7.5 cm, D: 8.0 cm (H: 12.4 in, W: 2.9 in, D: 3.1 in)
The Jerome L. Joss Collection. X87.1440

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X87.1465 Female figure

X87.1465 Female figure

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Female figure
Bembe peoples
Democratic Republic of the Congo
19th century
Wood and shell
H: 15.3 cm, W: 6.0 cm, D: 6.5 cm (H: 6.0 in, W: 2.4 in, D: 2.6 in)
The Jerome L. Joss Collection. X87.1465

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X87.1467 Female figure

X87.1467 Female figure

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Female figure
Bembe peoples
Democratic Republic of the Congo
19th century
Wood and mother-of-pearl
H: 16.0 cm, W: 6.0 cm, D: 4.3 cm (H: 6.3 in, W: 2.4 in, D: 1.7 in)
The Jerome L. Joss Collection. X87.1467

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X87.1477 Male figure (nkisi)

X87.1477 Male figure (nkisi)

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Male figure (nkisi)
Yombe peoples
Democratic Republic of the Congo
19th century
Wood, seeds, glass
H: 23.0 cm, W: 9.0 cm, D: 7.1 cm (H: 9.1 in, W: 3.5 in, D: 2.8 in)
The Jerome L. Joss Collection. X87.1477

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X89.821 Votive plaque (ema)

X89.821 Votive plaque (ema)

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Votive plaque (ema)
Tokyo, Japan
Late 19th-early 20th century
Wood and paint
H: 15.5 cm, W: 25.4 cm, D: 1.8 cm (H: 6.1 in, W: 10 in, D: .71 in)
Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of Dr. Daniel C. Holtom. X89.821

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X89.846 Votive plaque (ema)

X89.846 Votive plaque (ema)

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Votive plaque (ema)
Japan
Late 19th-early 20th century
Wood and paint
H: 23.6 cm, W: 33.4 cm, D: 1.2 cm (H: 9.3 in, W: 13.1 in, D: .47 in)
Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of Dr. Daniel C. Holtom. X89.846

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X89.847 Votive plaque (ema)

X89.847 Votive plaque (ema)

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Votive plaque (ema)
Japan
1917
Wood and paint
H: 22.7 cm, W: 30.0 cm, D: 1.0 cm (H: 8.9 in, W: 11.8 in, D: .39 in)
Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of Dr. Daniel C. Holtom. X89.847

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X89.859 Votive plaque (ema)

X89.859 Votive plaque (ema)

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Votive plaque (ema)
Japan
Late 19th-early 20th century
Wood and paint
H: 17.6 cm, W: 21.8 cm, D: 2.0 cm (H: 6.9 in, W: 8.6 in, D: .79 in)
Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of Dr. Daniel C. Holtom. X89.859

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X89.863 Votive plaque (ema)

X89.863 Votive plaque (ema)

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Votive plaque (ema)
Japan
1895
Wood and paint
H: 24.6 cm, W: 31.6 cm, D: 2.0 cm (H: 9.7 in, W: 12.4 in, D: .79 in)
Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of Dr. Daniel C. Holtom. X89.863

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X89.864 Votive plaque (ema)

X89.864 Votive plaque (ema)

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Votive plaque (ema)
Japan
1935
Wood and paint
H: 23.0 cm, W: 29.4 cm, D: 1.2 cm (H: 9.1 in, W: 11.6 in, D: .47 in)
Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of Dr. Daniel C. Holtom. X89.864

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X89.872 Votive plaque (ema)

X89.872 Votive plaque (ema)

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Votive plaque (ema)
Japan
Early 20th century
Wood and paint
H: 32.5 cm, W: 47.6 cm, D: 2.0 cm (H: 12.8 in, W: 18.7 in, D: .79 in)
Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of Dr. Daniel C. Holtom. X89.872

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X90.593 Retablo

X90.593 Retablo

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Retablo
Mexico
Late 19th-early 20th century
Tin and paint
H: 35.0 cm, W: 24.5 cm (H: 13.8 in, W: 9.6 in)
Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of Donald B. and Dorothy M. Cordry. X90.593

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X91.4615 Retablo

X91.4615 Retablo

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Retablo
Mexico
Late 19th-early 20th century
Tin and paint
H: 36.0 cm, W: 25.5 cm (H: 14.2 in, W: 10.0 in)
Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of Lenore Hoag Mulryan. X91.4615

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X91.4631 Retablo

X91.4631 Retablo

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Retablo
Mexico
Late 19th-early 20th century
Tin and paint
H: 35.5 cm, W: 25.0 cm (H: 13.9 in, W: 9.8 in)
Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of Lenore Hoag Mulryan. X91.4631

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X96.42.13 Retablo for Saint Jerome (San Jerónimo)

X96.42.13 Retablo for Saint Jerome (San Jerónimo)

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Object Name: Retablo for Saint Jerome (San Jerónimo)

Artist: Unknown

Place of Origin: Mexico

Date/Era: Late 19th to early 20th century

Dimensions: H: 36.4 cm, W: 27.0 cm, D: 2.0 cm (H: 14.3 in, W: 10.6 in, D: .79 in)

Medium/Materials: Metal, paint, glass

Credit Line: Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of Lenore Hoag Mulryan.

Accession Number: X96.42.13

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