Chair

Object Details

Chokwe artist

Label Text

As can be seen in the museum's collection, Chokwe leaders owned caryatid stools as part of their regalia. From the 16th century onward European traders and explorers brought chairs into Angola and the Chokwe adapted the form as an additional status symbol. Often these small chairs would be elaborately carved on the support rails with scenes from everyday life and history. This example is rather plain by comparison with examples in older European collections, possibly a reflection of Western collecting practices more than Chokwe taste. Also unusual is the face on the back of the chair. On most published examples this face is obviously male with the headdress of the ruler. This face is more like Mwana pwo, the beautiful woman mask.

Description

Wood chair with a leather seat secured and decorated with brass tacks, with plain cross bars, a high back with a single horizonatal splat with a high relief of a face. The legs end in rectangular block feet.

Content Statement

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Credit Line

Gift of Walt Disney World Co., a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company

Late 19th to mid-20th century

Object number

2005-6-320

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Type

Decorative Arts

Medium

Wood, leather, brass tacks

Dimensions

H x W x D: 66 x 28 x 33 cm (26 x 11 x 13 in.)

Geography

Angola

Democratic Republic of the Congo

See more items in

National Museum of African Art Collection

National Museum of African Art

Topic

Status

male

Record ID

nmafa_2005-6-320

Metadata Usage (text)

Usage conditions apply

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ys7a88b32c3-f042-42c0-9121-758cf61034ac