ex-votos (religious visual works)

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Scope note
Relatively small images, either painted or sculpted in low relief or in the round, that are donated to a Christian church or pilgrimage site in the hope of or in gratitude to God, the Virgin Mary, or a saint for deliverance from illness or distress. The images may represent saints, other human figures, parts of human figures, or other living or inanimate things. The term comes from the Latin and Greek formulas that are often inscribed on the items, beginning with "ex voto" or its equivalent "hyper euches." May also be used for pre-Christian and pre-Islamic cult and ritual items of similar or identical form from Asia Minor, North Africa, the Mediterranean, and west central Europe. May also be used for similar items developed via more recent traditions in the religions of India, Tibet, China, and Japan. For objects having this purpose but containing no images, use the term "votive offerings."
ex-votos
Accepted term: 22-Apr-2024