So what is this?- Thanks

Hi all, found this in one of my most favourite secondhand dealers shop (didn’t buy it) The shop always has cool stuff! Thinking Indian and maybe vintage but not antique? Anyway it’s a interesting thing. The antique cart is also very cool.

 

If I could afford it,I would probably buy half the shop/warehouse.
Vintage cars,art,collectibles,memorabilia and furniture. Would love to own a shop like this.

 

looks like a mock up..of a building entrance...

c'mon pal...ya gotta give us sizes

do the doors open , does the top move ?????

 

Apologies,my bad. All valid questions. I would say it’s about 60cm long and standing probably about 70cm tall. The doors can open and there’s little shelves inside. I didn’t try/test the top (should have done that)

 

So it’s a little cabinet of sorts

 

For liquor?

 

It looks like a home 'mandir', an Indian home temple, only more elaborate than usual.
Something like this, except the one you posted has 'the works' :


https://www.amazon.in/MANDIR-STORE-Engineered-Surfaces-LightingWooden/dp/B07JQQP7YQ

 

A very fancy home mandir in a cabinet, they come in different styles and sizes:


https://cabinet.matttroy.net/wooden-mandir-cabinet/

Another search term is 'pooja cabinet' or 'puja cabinet'.

 

Very interesting. Thank you AJ. I will search accordingly. I was really wondering if it was something along those lines. Looks like it was used. Maybe to place offerings?

 

If it is a home mandir, it would have had one or more statues of divinities, and an oil lamp, censer, and other items that are used in veneration and ritual. Anything that wasn't used was stored inside the cabinet.
Pooja/puja is a purification ritual, to show respect to a divinity.

There are many Hindus in S Africa, so it could have been made locally. Would be interesting to know what kind of wood it was made from.

 

All very interesting. I did some searching and I think you are 100% correct (no surprise there ) Unfortunately I don’t know the type of wood. So the type of wood could also indicate where is was made. I will return to the shop (when I can) and maybe it’s still there.
Many thanks again for all the information AJ. It’s a very interesting item to me.

 

Sort of looks like a davenport.

 

I can see what you mean.