Different cultures visualise their gods and spirits in different ways, reflecting their religious beliefs and traditions. In many cases, people believe that visual images and objects help them to communicate with the divine world and to win the favour of the gods; in some, the visual representation of gods is not permitted or necessary or has fallen into disuse.
Book of the Dead
A page from an ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead showing Thoth, Anubis, Horus, Osiris, Isis and Nephthys; 1275 BC.
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Silver lanx
A silver lanx (platter) from Roman Britain, showing Apollo, Diana and Minerva; AD 4th century.
See more See more: https://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/beta/asset/the-corbridge-lanx/egH4LR7MI_owbwShiva Nataraja
A bronze figure of Shiva Nataraja, from Tamil Nadu, southern India; around AD 1100.
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Wooden figure of the war god Ku-ka’ili-moku, from Hawai’i; probably AD 1790 – 1810.
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Bronze figure of, the Chinese god of wealth, riding on a three-legged toad; Qing dynasty, AD 1644 – 1911.
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Stone bust of the Mexica (Aztec) god, Quetzalcoatl; AD 1325 – 1521.
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Ivory plaque depicting Jesus Christ; from Kent, England; Anglo-Saxon, mid-11th century AD.
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