Punkah

Punkahs, or ceiling fans, originated in India and often hung over dining room tables in large mansions of the antebellum south. While relatively few survive today, this elaborately carved punkah remains in the Melrose mansion in Natchez, Mississippi and features a boldly carved anthemion or honeysuckle motif, a classical design that mirrors the cast iron work on the mansion's Greek revival portico.

The punkah is made of Santo Domingan mahogany. An enslaved servant pulled an attached cord causing the punkah to sway, thereby creating a slight breeze that also helped keep flies away.


Melrose is a component of Natchez National Historical Park, whose mission is to preserve and interpret the diverse history and material culture of the peoples of Natchez. The punkah tells many stories as it symbolizes not only the grandeur and taste of the antebellum planter class that owned Melrose but reflects the workmanship and technology of the craftsmen who built it and the labor and servitude of the slaves who operated it.