Carved and painted home altar from Burma

How do you unwind after work? Perhaps you uncork a bottle of wine, watch TV, listen to music, or exercise. If you lived in Myanmar, today’s Burma, you might find yourself engaged in an altogether different activity. There, to de-stress, it’s customary to come home and kneel in front of an altar, spend a few minutes in quiet reflection, meditate, make prayers and offerings, and instill a sense of calm fortitude, relaxation and serenity. It’s the perfect way to relax after a long, stressful day.

A guardian angel is depicted at the top of this altar with a welcoming gesture

This week’s New Arrival features a Burmese home altar. Beautifully carved, painted and gilded, it is decorated with seven finials, presumably one for each day of the week. On either side are two serpents called Naga, protective entities offering shelter. Look closer and at the top is a figure called Teppanom, a guardian angel who protects houses and temples. Look even closer and you’ll see Teppanom’s hands are brought together in a gesture of greeting. Now, really look and listen; and you’ll hear the words, “Welcome home.”

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