Idol Collection (#5)

Interior of a Morai or sacred cemetery on Kauai, Hawaii (Atooi). Interior of a long house or mana in the heiau (morai) at Waimea with carved representations of the gods

Hawaiian natives offer a sacrificial pig to Captain James Cook before 12 priests and a wooden idol in the sacred Orono house

Worshippers making offerings to a statue of Buddha or Fo in a banyan tree, Vietnam. Handcoloured copperplate drawn and engraved by Andrea Bernieri from Giulio Ferrarios Ancient

Chinese gods of desire, immortality, etc
Statues of Chinese gods: Kin-gan or Chin-hoan, god of tutelage, Ni-ni-fo or Fo-tek god of voluptuousness, and god of immortality with deer and crane

Busts of sacred idols of the Aztecs, Mexico. Kneeling idol Chalchiuhtlicue with pearl headdress and triangular neckerchief

Ancient Peruvian utensils and tools, including Inca tomb A, B, pendant in gold and silver C, copper axe heads D, mirrors called Inca-rirpo E, F, G, stone axe H, pins I, L, M, clip K

Costumes of religious elite of Ouidah, Benin, and an idol of black clay with a crown of lizards, snakes and feathers seated on a pedestal

Double axehead and two figurines from Knossos, late Minoan, c
AMQ419819 Double axehead and two figurines from Knossos, late Minoan, c.1500 BC (terracotta) (see also 133330) by Minoan; Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford

Wooden idol from the Niger (engraving)
3653582 Wooden idol from the Niger (engraving) by European School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Wooden idol from the Niger)

Idol (engraving)
2796630 Idol (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Idol. Explorations and Adventures in Equatorial Africa by Paul B du Chaillu (John Murray, 1861)

Promenade En Casamance (engraving)
2788980 Promenade En Casamance (engraving) by French School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Promenade En Casamance. Illustration for Journal Des Voyages, 11 December 1892)

Adoration du veau d or (engraving)
3625775 Adoration du veau d or (engraving) by French School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Adoration du veau d or)

Statue or Idol at Copan, Honduras (engraving)
3655951 Statue or Idol at Copan, Honduras (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Statue or Idol at Copan, Honduras)

Head of Bhairava, c. 16th century (painted gilt copper and rock cystal)
3617913 Head of Bhairava, c.16th century (painted gilt copper and rock cystal) by Nepalese School, (16th century); 81.3 high cm; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Precursors of Freemasonry: the Luciferians (engraving)
3100806 Precursors of Freemasonry: the Luciferians (engraving) by French School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Precursors of Freemasonry: the Luciferians)

Initiation of a Knight of Saint Andrew (engraving)
3100771 Initiation of a Knight of Saint Andrew (engraving) by French School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Initiation of a Knight of Saint Andrew)

Spaniards destroying Mexican Idols (engraving)
3103281 Spaniards destroying Mexican Idols (engraving) by Darley, Felix Octavius Carr (1822-88) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: Spaniards destroying Mexican Idols)

Giwon Deity
Japanese deity Giwon also known as the Prince of Heaven with the head of an Ox. Date: 1731

Xaca, Japanese Deity
Japanese deity Xaca Date: 1737

Idol of Canon
Canon idol (also referred to as kannon, kwannon) Date: 1737

Japanese Preacher
A Japanese Preacher haranguing (preaching to) the people who are assembled to worship their Tuteler-Idol. Date: 1760

Japanese Buddhist Deities Tiedebaik and Amida
Japanese idols Tiedebaik and Amida. Amida is a Buddha who rules over paradise, enjoying endless and infinite bliss. Date: 1737

Japanese Matsuri Festival
Matsuri is the Japanese word for a festival or holiday. In Japan festivals are usually sponsored by a local shrine or temple

Infidelity (engraving)
972599 Infidelity (engraving) by Giotto di Bondone (c.1266-1337) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: Infidelity. From a fresco in the Scrovegni Chapel, Padua)

Copperheads Worshiping Their Idol, 1864 (litho)
1078606 Copperheads Worshiping Their Idol, 1864 (litho) by American School, (19th century); Collection of the New-York Historical Society

Dr Schliemanns Excavations at Troy, some of the Discoveries (engraving)
1058833 Dr Schliemanns Excavations at Troy, some of the Discoveries (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Dr Schliemanns Excavations at Troy)

The High Priest, Coifi, profanes the Temple of the Idols, 627 AD
984716 The High Priest, Coifi, profanes the Temple of the Idols, 627 AD, from A Chronicle of England BC 55 to AD 1485, pub

Psi figure, c. 1300-1200 BC (terracotta) (see also 3126447)
3126448 Psi figure, c.1300-1200 BC (terracotta) (see also 3126447) by Mycenaean, (13th century BC); height: 12.3 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: standing female figure with upraised arms)

Shrine to the sacred bull Nandi, Brihadisvara Temple, Tanjore, India (b / w photo)
5996601 Shrine to the sacred bull Nandi, Brihadisvara Temple, Tanjore, India (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Shrine to the sacred bull Nandi)

Position and Armament of the British Batteries before Delhi (engraving)
1609144 Position and Armament of the British Batteries before Delhi (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

The Man and the Wooden God, from Fontaine Fables, pub. 1905 (engraving)
3472068 The Man and the Wooden God, from Fontaine Fables, pub. 1905 (engraving) by Billingshurst, Percy J. (1871-1933); The Stapleton Collection; out of copyright

Tahitian Idol, The Goddess Hina, 1894-95 (wood-block print on end-grain boxwood)
3499997 Tahitian Idol, The Goddess Hina, 1894-95 (wood-block print on end-grain boxwood) by Gauguin, Paul (1848-1903); 14.8x12 cm; (add.info)

Washingtons Reception by the Ladies on Passing the Bridge at Trenton, April 1789
3704154 Washingtons Reception by the Ladies on Passing the Bridge at Trenton, April 1789, on His Way to be Inaugurated First President of the United States

The Disobedient Prophet, 1620-9 (oil on canvas)
3588385 The Disobedient Prophet, 1620-9 (oil on canvas) by Jacobsz. Lambert (c. 1598-1636); 107x136 cm; National Museum, Stockholm

Eye idol amulet, c. 3500 BC (gypsum)
1216420 Eye idol amulet, c.3500 BC (gypsum) by Mesopotamian; 3.8x2.7 cm; Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford, UK; (add.info.: Tell Brak Eye idol amulet, gypsum figurine, owl faced c)

Depicting Daniel before Nebuchadnezzar, ex Ste Chapelle, Bay G (stained glass)
721129 Depicting Daniel before Nebuchadnezzar, ex Ste Chapelle, Bay G (stained glass) by French School, (13th century); Musee National du Moyen Age et des Thermes de Cluny, Paris; French

The Ass Carrying an Idol (engraving)
671859 The Ass Carrying an Idol (engraving) by Griset, Ernest Henry (1844-1907); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Ass Carrying an Idol)

Idols from Mr Shapiras Collection, plate 7, 1872 (w / c & pencil on paper)
PEF316813 Idols from Mr Shapiras Collection, plate 7, 1872 (w/c & pencil on paper) by Conder, Claude (1848-1910); Palestine Exploration Fund, London

Cycladic Figurine, Naxos, c. 3000-2000 BC (marble)
AMQ419865 Cycladic Figurine, Naxos, c.3000-2000 BC (marble) by Greek; Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford, UK; eAshmolean Museum; Greek, out of copyright

Gnostic Eucharist, side panel of a gnostic casket found at Essarois (Burgundy) (engraving
DGC405783 Gnostic Eucharist, side panel of a gnostic casket found at Essarois (Burgundy) (engraving) (see 405782) by English School

Vinca Idol, Vinca Culture, 4500-3500 BC (fired clay with paint)
500289 Vinca Idol, VinAza Culture, 4500-3500 BC (fired clay with paint) by Neolithic; h:16.10 cm; Cleveland Museum of Art, OH, USA; (add.info.: This statuette, probably a cult idol)

Idol and Altar at Copan, in Guatemala (engraving)
2791417 Idol and Altar at Copan, in Guatemala (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Idol and Altar at Copan, in Guatemala)

The Idol of Dagon (engraving)
2792113 The Idol of Dagon (engraving) by English School, (18th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Idol of Dagon)

Waldensian Sabbath, facsimile copy of a manuscript, Paris, 19th century (colour litho)
CHT163087 Waldensian Sabbath, facsimile copy of a manuscript, Paris, 19th century (colour litho) by French School, (15th century) (after); Bibliotheque des Arts Decoratifs, Paris

Perpetual Adoration, set and costume designs by Erte, scene from Un Soir de Folie at the Folies Bergere, Paris
6000680 Perpetual Adoration, set and costume designs by Erte, scene from Un Soir de Folie at the Folies Bergere, Paris, 1925 (photo) by English Photographer

The Children of the Bible: The Boy King (chromolitho)
6001802 The Children of the Bible: The Boy King (chromolitho) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Children of the Bible: The Boy King)

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From Hollywood heartthrobs to ancient deities, idols have captivated us throughout history. On the Tatler cover, Ronald Colman and his Sealyham Terrier exude an idol-like aura of charm and elegance. Meanwhile, the Big Buddha statue on Lantau Island stands tall as a symbol of devotion in Hong Kong's Po Lin Monastery. In the world of entertainment, Rudolph Valentino was hailed as a silent film idol whose smoldering looks melted hearts worldwide. And even centuries ago, a man with a glass in hand captured in Cycladic Art became an enigmatic idol frozen in time. Traveling to India's Kumortuli reveals small bells that adorn idols crafted by skilled artisans in Kolkata, showcasing their dedication to religious traditions. In Mexico's Aztec civilization, human sacrifices were offered to appease the sun-god—an unsettling reminder of how far people would go for their beliefs. Literature too has its share of idols; Bardelys The Magnificent tells tales of charismatic heroes who become legends. Yet not all they are fictional; missionaries like those shown in 1837 sought to challenge China's worship practices and redefine what it meant to be an idolater. Throughout history, figures like Charlemagne and Baal held immense power over civilizations as gods or rulers—idols worshipped or feared by many. Even closer to home at Sandringham estate lies an Indian Idol amidst the grounds—a testament to cultural exchange and appreciation. Lastly, we encounter Vitzliputzli (Huitzilopochtli), a Mexican deity whose name echoes through time—an idol revered by ancient civilizations for protection and strength. Whether they inspire adoration or controversy, these diverse idols remind us of humanity's eternal quest for something greater than ourselves.