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Virtual Guide | Mansion

An 18th to 19th century Dutch Merchant's House
This Dutch merchant's house was built in three phases. The central eldest part, presently the dining room annex kitchen, was built around 1780. The second phase of construction took place in 1820, which is presently the "Saal" salon room, and a third phase of additions included the gallery, the study room, and the entrance hall in 1861. The entire building was renovated in 1998 and is presently part of the Museum Kurá Hulanda.

The history of the tenants is not well documented, and therefore not always certain. However, since the house is built on four enormous water cisterns, which far exceeds the needs of the tenant's household use, it is likely that throughout the ages the tenants additionally maintained a water distribution business. The water trough annexed to the front gable was the major supply source for all those who lived in the yard.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the labor force of Curaçao businesses was formed primarily of African slaves and their descendants. Curaçao was also a port of first arrival for many African captives who, after recuperation, were sold on as slaves to the Americas and the Caribbean. Many Africans in the Caribbean ended up in the harsh life of the sugar plantations. Unskilled labor was so cheap that plantation owners often preferred to work and starve their workers to death at every harvest, to later replace them with newones, than to supply proper living and working conditions. However, Curaçao never had a substantial plantation economy, thus most slaves worked in the commercial and domestic sectors, such as loading ships for Dutch merchants who were resident in this house.

The Curaçao slave traders kept African captives on the island for periods of some weeks to some years, depending on whether they were sold and exported as slaves or retained on the island for local labor. For some of those who were retained, they were given training in craft skills, either by European craftsmen or by previously trained African slaves. An African slave with marketable craft skills could be sold for extremely high prices. The museum's Black Holocast exhibition shows a receipt of sale for an 18 year old man, trained as a carpenter, for the equivalent of US$ 4000, a fortune in those days.

Towards the end of the 18th century, the Dutch made more money on the slave trade in Curaçao than in all other possessions and colonies together. During the 17th century, in the "Golden Age of the Batavia Republic", some 75% of its economy depended on the slave trade.

At different intervals in history, the yard in front of Mansion Kurá Hulanda was likely a gathering place for slaves. The African descendant dwellings, presently reconstructed into the exposition halls at Museum Kurá Hulanda, and a possible former slave prison on the grounds, testify to the grim reality of slave life.

History

IJzerstraat 14 was built in 1861 by order of Catharina Mauricia Obergh. Quite probably she had the house built on and next to an older existing house. After her demise in 1904 Merien Bonifacia, who later called herself Merien Henriquez, inherits the property. She herself lived on the ground floor, while she rented out the second floor.
From 1925 the property has belonged to the Ecker-Fidanque family for years. They lived there with their children and grand-children Raven. The family lived upstairs. On the main floor there were a parlor, a gallery, a dining room, three bedrooms, a bathroom and a kitchen. Furthermore, there were three additional bedrooms and a bathroom in the attic.
In those days on the ground floor there were a room and a kitchen for the staff, big cisterns and a storeroom. Finally they proceeded to rent out the house. On the ground floor the cabinet- maker Juan Florencio Walter, who was called 'Dodo Karpinté' ('Dodo the Carpenter') rented the southern frontal extension. Dodo (1889-1988) was a very skillful craftsman who had his workshop on the IJzerstraat for years. In 1995 Jacob Gelt Dekker who is of Dutch origin, bought the by now totally run-down house, and had it restored in 1997-1998. At present the upper level serves as the owners dwelling, whereas the former cisterns on the ground floor have come to form part of the adjacent Museum 'Kurá Hulanda'.

Description

From the complex structure of IJzerstraat 14 we can conclude that the house did not come about in one go, but that it was realized in stages. It consists of several building units with various dimensions. As is the case with several houses in town the main floor is situated on the second level. Because of its higher location this was the coolest story. The floor was made accessible by means of an outer staircase at the southeast corner. Since the restoration the main entrance of the building is located in the frontal extension at the south side. Cabinetmaker Dodo Walter's workshop used to be here. By omitting the floor of the second story a vacant space across the two stories was created in which a modern steel staircase now opens up the main floor. The staircase leads to a balcony resting on two columns. These columns were once part of a former balcony before a two-storied annex was constructed against the south façade. During the restoration a door was made in the cistern under the balcony.
This cistern is nowadays being used as exhibition space of the Museum 'Kurá Hulanda'.
The adjacent space on the ground floor and the former kitchen are probably the oldest parts of tne house. As in former days, on the the second floor there are a parlor and a gallery on the east side, which leads to the rear annex. During the restoration a new balcony was added to the southern gable top part.

Some of the unique furniture

This old Dutch merchant's house is furnished with mostly Dutch colonial antiques, many of which were produced on Curaçao.

Amongst the paintings by Dutch and Flemish masters, hanging in the Saal, one by Fans Hals and painted in 1621, is of a merchant named Jacob Josias van Bredehof of Harlem. There is also a remarkable large standing clock from 1753, built by Jacobus van der Cloesen of Leyden.

The dining room features an extensive 18th century pewter collection, once used on transatlantic sailing ships. The chairs are Dutch from 1850, and the table is Hispanic from 1800.

The study displays a 19th century ceremonial Javanese bed, once owned by the Sultan of Yogyakarta, Java. The hallway features a rare Bell Epoch oil-lamp chandelier from France.