Shrine - Wood, Elaborately hand-painted, multi-part folding shrine / home altar - 20th century - Kavad from Rajasthan

This elaborately hand-painted wooden shrine from Rajasthan, India, is a multi-part folding home altar known as a Kavad. Originating in the 20th century, these shrines blend intricate artistry with devotional function, serving as portable sacred spaces for Hindu worship and storytelling. The Kavad’s painted panels often depict religious narratives, deities, and symbolic motifs, making them both devotional objects and folk art masterpieces. Used traditionally within Rajasthani households, the Kavad shrine reflects a unique regional ritual practice, emphasizing the intimate relationship between art, religion, and daily life in Indian culture.