votive offering; dedicated item
Refers to an object offered to a deity or temple as an act of devotion or gratitude. Often used in religious or ceremonial contexts.
I dedicate a votive offering at the shrine.
This ema is a votive offering for recovery from illness.
Compound of 奉献 (ほうけん, 'dedication, offering') and 物 (ぶつ, 'thing, object'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word follows a standard Sino-Japanese pattern for religious and ceremonial terms.