Inscription band from a rood altar canopy, from St Nicholas's Church, Aberdeen, early 16th century

Inscription band from a rood altar canopy, from St Nicholas's Church, Aberdeen, early 16th century

Roman stone altar dedicated to the Discipline of the Emperor, with a sacrificial axe and knife in relief on the right hand side and a patera with ram's head handle on the left, from Birrens

Portion of an altar from Castlecary, Stirlingshire

Altar of stone, dedicated to Apollo, square with richly moulded top and base with wreath, bow and quiver, and defaced inscription, from Roman fort at Bar Hill, Dunbartonshire, Scotland, Roman Period, 140 - 165 AD

Sandstone altar dedicated to Jupiter, from Cramond, 140 - 210 AD

Altar dedicated to Mercury, from Castlecary

Roman altar dedicated to Hercules Magusanus by an officer in a cavalry unit of Tungrians, found at Brightons, Polmont, Stirlingshire, near Mumrills on the Antonine Wall, AD 140-165

Altar of stone, dedicated to the Nymphs by a vexillatio of the Sixth Legion, found c. 1802 at Nether Croy, Dunbartonshire, Scotland, Roman Period, 80 - 211 AD

Sandstone slab, probably the front of an altar or tomb, with a cross of interlaced work in centre, from Flotta, Orkney

Votive altar in bronze consisting of a tray on which are represented two hes-vases and four loaves in relief, with represented animals including a frog forming the spout flanked by two jackals, a hawk with solar disk and an ape (?) with moon disk, on the underside a dedicatory inscription in favour of Her-Isit: Ancient Egyptian, probably Roman Period

Porcelain altar piece from a Buddhist altar set (fo gong) in the shape of a lotus, with yangcai (famille rose) enamel decoration: China, Qianlong mark and period, Qing Dynasty, early Qianlong period, 1736 - 1795 AD

Silk Buddhist altar cloth with a repeating woven pattern of peony, chrysanthemums, dragon and phoenix, with green, red, blue, pink, white and brown silk with gold kinran (lacquered and gilded paper) woven through to form the diamond and floral background: Japan, mid-Meiji era, 1884 - 1899

Brocade Buddhist altar cloth (uchishiki) woven in violet, browns, light pinks, green, and cream silks and gold thread on a light blue ground and showing a repeating design of dragons pursuing the magic jewel: Japan, 19th century

Silk Buddhist altar cloth (uchishiki) with repeating woven motif of five-clawed dragons and clouds in green, yellow, orange, pink, blue, pale blue silks and gold kinran (lacquered and gilded paper) woven throughout, lined with blue silk: Japan, mid-Meiji era, 1884 - 1899

Silk Buddhist altar cloth with repeating woven motif of three-clawed dragons, lions on a grid pattern with lotus flowers woven in coloured silks and gold kinran (lacquered and gilded paper) woven throughout: Japan, mid-Meiji era, 1884 - 1899