Maya Relief of Royal Blood-Letting (700-950 AD)

This relief was taken from the doorway in a Mayan temple and shows a blood-letting ritual. It was carved from stone and is 109 centimeters tall. In the relief King Shield Jaguar III's wife Lady Xook is seen pulling thorns through her tongue. She is doing so to contact her husband's ancestors. It was believed that, as a ruler, knowledge was only gained through communicating with spirits. A ruler's power was determined by the knowledge gained from doing the blood-letting ceremony.

Statue of Tara (700-950 AD)

This statue represents the spiritual and sensual Buddhist goddess Tara. It was crafted from metal and is 143 centimeters tall.  This statue would have been placed next to her male counterpart, the bodhisattva, Avalokiteshevara in a Buddhist temple.  It was the center for meditation because a bodhisattva was a person who had reached enlightenment but elected to stay behind to help the rest of mankind reach enlightenment as well.   

Taino Ritual Seat (1200-1400 AD)

This seat, also known as a duho, was crafted by a Taino artisan.  It was carved from wood and is 22 centimeters tall. The Taino people lived in the pre-European Caribbean.  The seat was carved to look like a cemi, or spirit. A Taino chief would sit in this seat and snort snuff made from seeds to communicate with their ancestors. The chief would then ask all the spirits for advice on any important decisions they had to make.   

Holy Thorn Reliquary (1200-1400 AD)

The crown of thorns Jesus wore as he was crucified was considered one of the most sought after relics in Christianity.  This relic was crafted from metal and approximately 30 centimeters tall. King Louis IX paid as much as half the total expenditure of France for the relic in 1239. Medieval Christians used relics as a way to get closer to the saint the relic was thought to come from or even Christ himself.  Relics were considered very important in their religion and wars were even started over them.  

Sculpture of Huastec Goddess (1200-1400 AD)

The Huastecs were a people conquered by the Aztecs in the 1450's. This statue is carved from stone and is 150 centimeters tall. Statues like this one were the main focus of the Huastec religion. This goddess was merged with the Aztec goddess Tlazolteotl and became the goddess of sexuality and fertility. The Huastecs believed that carving statues of gods could be very dangerous and so they often prayed preformed rituals and fasted while creating them.    

Shi'a Religious Parade Standard (1550-1700 AD)

In Iran, approximately 400 years ago, standards similar to this one were used in many religious processions.  This particular standard is made from metal and is 127 centimeters long. It is in the shape of Imam Ali's sword. Imam Ali was the husband of Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet Mohammad. It was widely believed by Shi'a Muslims that Imam Ali would be Mohammad's successor.