Chief's chair or throne "citwamo ca mangu" · Angola, Chokwe · ID: 3050802
not available anymore
Provenance
collected before 1955Jonny Van De Rijck
Pierre Loos, Brussels, Belgium, 1992 Belgian Collection
Size
H: 62 cm (backrest)
27 cm (seat)
H: 24.4 inch (backrest)
10.6 inch (seat)
Description
wood, metal,
This chair is an example of masterful craftsmanship. The individual parts were precisely mortised together and fixed in place with hand-forged metal clasps and nails.
The throne is adorned with a depiction of the ideal man (“cihongo”), flanked by two female figures. The struts between the chair legs are carved with figural scenes from the daily and ceremonial life of the Chokwe.
These chairs were status symbols of the village chiefs and an expression of their worldly power and authority, as well as a sign of supreme spiritual power. Their form is inspired by European models.
Comparing literature
Bocola, Sandro (Hg.), Afrikanische Sitze, München, New York 1994, p. 185
Publications
AHDRC: 0124086