Thai spirit house on stand. Dark stained carved wood spirit house with antler-style roof finials.

Condition: Loose pieces on pagoda.

Pagoda Size: 12 x 20 1/2 x 24 3/4 in.

Table Size: 12 x 12 x 24 3/8 in.

#1441 #1 . 

A spirit house is a shrine to the protective spirit of a place that is found in the Southeast Asian countries of Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines. They are normally in the form of sloping-roofed structures mounted on a pillar or a dais, and can range in size from small birdhouse-like platforms to houses large enough for people to enter. Spirit houses are intended to provide a shelter for spirits that could cause problems for the people if not appeased, and often include images or carved statues of people and animals. Votive offerings are left at them to propitiate the spirits; more elaborate installations include an altar for this purpose. Spirit houses are known as “san phra phum,” (house of the guardian spirit) in Thai. In Thailand it is a long-standing tradition to leave offerings of food and drink at the spirit house, most commonly rice, bananas, coconuts, and desserts. Most ubiquitous is red, strawberry-flavored Fanta. The idea is that friendly spirits will congregate to enjoy free food and drink and their presence will serve to keep more malign spirits at bay.