Prestwould in Mecklenburg County, Virginia has one installed in their dining room Gretchen M. Goodell Curator Stratford Hall 483 Great House Road Stratford, VA 22558 (804) 493-8038 x 8910 www.stratfordhall.org ________________________________ From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Carol Ely Sent: Thursday, May 28, 2009 12:20 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: [MUSEUM-L] help with a "punkah" We're embarking on a re-restoration of the interior of our 1790s historic house, and we are eager to recreate the "punkah" or "punka" that we believe (based on a description in a letter) to have been in the dining room in the 1810s. A punkah is a structure of wood and sometimes cloth that was suspended from the ceiling and used to keep flies off the food during a meal, described here as a set of "small flags" pulled by a cord operated by an enslaved boy. But, we don't know what it looked like and can't find a visual reference. The ones that we have seen pictured are in the form of a single giant paddle, not the small flags we had here. The word suggests an origin in India. So, is anyone familiar with this? Anyone have one, original or reconstructed? Ideas where to look? Carol Ely Executive Director Historic Locust Grove Louisville ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes). ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).