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Spirit House

철제 은입사 감실 [鐵製銀入絲龕室]

late 1800s

Korea, Joseon dynasty

(1392–1910)
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Medium
iron inlaid with silver and copper decoration
Measurements
Overall: 30 x 35 x 14 cm (11 13/16 x 13 3/4 x 5 1/2 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of The Honorable Joseph P. Carroll and Roberta Carroll, M.D. in memory of Robert P. Bergman 1999.120.1
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Did You Know?

The belief in two types of souls, the spiritual and the corporeal, embodied the core concept of ancestor worship in traditional China and Korea. While the corporeal soul is believed to reside in the tomb, the spiritual soul, in the spirit house, like this example, guards his or her decedents.

Description

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.
An iron and silver cabinet stands on four short legs. The dark, rectangular structure features two central doors with plates featuring jagged cutouts below a horizontal drawer. Silver and copper patterns of knots and flowers cover the surface. Four circular plates and a central rectangular plate line the upper section. Two large interlocking rings project from the side on our left. Small riveted plates and a notched rim texture the exterior.

Spirit House

late 1800s

Korea, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910)

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