Can you guess what this unfamiliar antique was used for? It is 40 inches high and 35 inches wide and probably made of Southern Yellow Pine.
It is called a “punkah.” It was made in the early 19th century and used with the help of a man called a “punkah wallah” who pulled a cord to make the punkah swing back and forth like a fan. It was the “air conditioner” used in hot climates, not just in America.