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Shrines for the Home
Home Shrine “A”. M. Curtis, des.
The gods, the God, the saints and spirits live among us, wandering as they will. Sometimes, if given the gift of a shrine, they live with us in little rooms, chapel-like where we come to pray, to honor ancestors, and pay meet adoration to the household gods.
I cannot tell what you make of this world, infinity and forever. I cannot say how you organize yourself on this tiny planet in your speck of time. I cannot speak of what you believe, of what you know, of what you give in faith to government, to God, to fellow man. We each have our ways.in home shrines.
Home Shrine “B”. M. Curtis, des.
Egyptians, Romans, Italians, and Hindus, Hutus, Hebrews, and Mohicans, Armenians, Americans, and Japanese, Chinese, Nepalese, and Lebanese, Kuwaitis, Israelis each have made a house for God, as Alexander III, the Great, recognized, different names, same God, different ceremonies, same purpose … perhaps.
Here, small shrines for the household, places of rest and remembrance, places to pause in consideration of the universe that lives into and through you. Here might be the image of God, your god, the saints and the holy, the symbols in metaphor, images of analogy, the stories by which we know ourselves to be the creatures who we are.
Home Shrine “C”. M. Curtis, des.
We each have experienced eternity, epiphany, little miracles recognized and unrecognized. I have experienced many such, among which a divine light that showed itself to our small company, alike a little sun, a pinpoint that grew to illuminate the room, encompassing all, warm, personable, casting no shadow. I cannot know if your miracles, your visitations are orthodox or extraordinary. The universe is peopled beyond our knowledge.
We are creatures who make houses, houses after our shapes in harmony with our nature, as do birds and moles make houses that suit their shapes, their natures. How then to form a house for the household god? A statuette on a mantlepiece? A candle, incense on a table? Perhaps. Being but a man, and in this rather common, I cannot say which house is most suitable to God. Best I can do is give Godlike things to God, as best I can conceive.
These household shrines are simply designed so that you might construct a shrine yourself, as best your skill and inclination allow. If need be, you can order construction documents for these shrines from The Beautiful Home, though each can be made to scale from the rulers and elevations pictured here.
Home Shrine Plans
Home Shrine “D”. M. Curtis, des.
Design A To be hung on a wall or supported by a base, this most simple Tuscan shrine might like the addition of a shelf or shelves. The material might be a plywood that will like painting, or oak, stained and wax: 3′-6″h x 2’–9″w x 9″d.
Design B If dimensioned thin, ideal for a pictured painting or print; if deep, suitable to glazed statuettes. Here, a polychromy of two colors, though you might like more, and too, you might substitute the egg and dart molding for a cymatium or other favored molding: 3′-6″h x 3′-6″w x whichever depth you prefer.
Design C Light and fine, this shrine features an Aeolic Order of my own design. Detailed drawings are available, should you choose to model or carve the pilaster yourself: 3′-6″h x 3′-6″w x whichever depth you prefer. More skill will be wanted in creating this shrine, wood bending, tight details, et cetera. You might like to know: my Aeolian Order was developed for the yet unbuilt, steel Church of the Good Shepherd.
Design D This outdoor shrine might be constructed of block, of brick, or modeled concrete. If of wood, the lower base should be of plastic infused wood, the inside should be treated, and you will want breathing holes for ventilation: 7′-0″h x 2′-9″w x 1′-0″d.
Design E (the featured image) Is shown as granite, which it could be, or it could be marble, though, likely, of concrete: 3′-4″h x 7′-0″w x 3′-3″d. Draw on a board two circles, one dimensioned to the bottom, the other to the top (scaled as in the pictured column). Between these, attach a centered, threaded pole, the threads with washer and bolt either side the wood. Halve as many pvc pipe as needed to approximate the flutes; upon the guide of the circle you drew, glue and bind the column you have made (though not to the board). Remove the top board, insert a cardboard tube and reinforcement, seal the column mold bottom, pour in the colored cement (mixed with black iron oxide and aggregate). If the pvc is secured to binding rings, the column form is easily reused, so repeat until eight columns are achieved. Top slabs are poured as is typical, et cetera.
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