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Spirit House
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Spirit House

late 1800s · iron inlaid with silver and copper decoration

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.

About this work

Many homes in premodern Korean society had a memorial shrine for preparing and holding ancestral rites. Placed on the top of a tall chair, this miniature edifice (called the spirit house) served as a temporary residence for visiting ancestral spirits. On the table, a variety of delicacies such as fruits, rice, meat, and wine would be placed to treat those spiritual guests.

Cleveland Museum of Art’s own description
Credit lineSpirit House (철제 은입사 감실 [鐵製銀入絲龕室]), late 1800s. Korea, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910). Iron inlaid with silver and copper decoration; overall: 30 x 35 x 14 cm (11 13/16 x 13 3/4 x 5 1/2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of The Honorable Joseph P. Carroll and Roberta Carroll, M.D. in memory of Robert P. Bergman, 1999.120.1
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