Chattel House

by Donna Tuten

Original - Sold

Price

Not Specified

Dimensions

10.000 x 8.000 x 1.000 inches

Title

Chattel House

Artist

Donna Tuten

Medium

Painting - Oil On Canvas

Description

This 8x10, oil on canvas, "Chattel House," was painted from a photo taken on our trip to Barbados. As we toured the island, our tour guide informed us that "Chattel House" is a Barbadian (or Bajan) word for a small moveable wooden house that working class people would occupy.

The term goes back to plantation days when the homeowners would buy houses designed to move from one property to another. The word "Chattel" means movable property, so the name was appropriate. Chattel houses are set on blocks or a groundsill rather than being anchored into the ground. In addition, they are built entirely out of wood and assembled without nails. This allowed them to be disassembled (along with the blocks) and moved from place to place. This system was necessary historically because home "owners" typically did not own the land that their house was set on. Instead, their employer often owned the land. In case of a landlord/tenant (or employer/employee) dispute, the house could be quickly moved to a new property.

Uploaded

November 9th, 2011

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