In gathering research for a current project with HOUSE OF EMRO, I’ve found myself wandering through the echoes of ancient Greek and Roman worlds—tracing the artistic and architectural imprints they left behind. It’s no surprise that the hallmarks of these grand styles have endured into the modern age. And yet, beyond the columns and stonework, what lingers most is something more intimate: the way these civilizations shaped not just cities, but the inner rituals of the home.

Far from the epicenters of marble temples and towering deities, their citizens carried something smaller, more personal. Scaled down from the monumental statues of the Parthenon, hand-carved miniatures—some exquisitely detailed, others charmingly crude—were brought along on travels, placed gently on home altars. In corners of quiet reverence, candles were lit, herbs burned, and whispered hopes offered: for safety, for sustenance, for something sacred to take root in daily life.

Of course, the tradition of miniature altars is not unique to these cultures. Many practices predate Greece and Rome, but the grandeur and reach of their temples left an impression that still ripples through time. We feel it even now—in the way we build our dwellings, in the art we choose to surround ourselves with, in the small altars tucked into shelves or window ledges—and yes, in the lion statuettes standing guard at the edge of a suburban driveway.

This project lives at the intersection of these echoes: a reverence for tradition, a nod to the spiritual, and the quiet beauty of meaningful, contemporary art—created for your own temple, your home.

More to come in the HOUSE OF EMRO SHOP