Not a Ghost, Not a Chandelier: What’s That Thing Hanging from the Ceiling in 1700s Plantation Houses?

You’re scrolling through photos of 18th-century plantation houses—wide porches, tall windows, grand staircases—and then you spot it: a strange object hanging from the dining room ceiling. It’s not a light. Not quite a decoration. It’s kind of fan-shaped, suspended above the table, motionless but oddly prominent. The question naturally follows: What is that thing? Answer: