Spirit House
Unknown Artist
late 1800s
Medium
iron inlaid with silver and copper decoration
Classification
Metalwork
Department
Korean Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of The Honorable Joseph P. Carroll and Roberta Carroll, M.D. in memory of Robert P. Bergman
Accession Number
1999.120
About this artwork
This table, chair, and spirit house form a partial recreation of a memorial altar from the Joseon period. The spirit house and chair both include a number of auspicious symbols, including lotuses, conch shells, and chakra wheels. The spirit house would have been placed on the altar chair, and offerings would have been set out on the table for the memorial service. In ancestor veneration rituals, deceased parents or ancestors are sanctified as spirits who are believed to oversee their descendents...