Chair (Chitwamo or Njunga)

Chokwe Angola Central Africa →

chokweArts of Africaafrican ArtCentral Africafurniturewood

Date

Late 19th-early 20th century

Medium

Wood, brass tacks, and hide

Dimensions

51.2 × 24.8 × 28.6 cm (20 1/8 × 9 3/4 × 11 1/4 in.)

Museum

Art Institute of Chicago

Location

Chicago, IL

Credit

Winter and Hirsch Fund

This miniature wooden chair would have been owned and used by a chief or dignitary. Designed for easy transportation, its form and construction derive from 17th-century Portuguese imports. Three-dimensional sculptures on the rungs and on the top of the seatback typically relate to Chokwe everyday life and mythology. The sculpted head that crowns this seatback represents a chihongo mask: a symbol of wealth, virility, and authority.

Also notable

Works in the same vein

Female Face Mask (Mwana Pwo)

Chokwe Angola or Democratic Republic of the Congo Central Africa

Male Face Mask (Chihongo)

Chokwe Angola or Democratic Republic of the Congo Central Africa

Bottle

Ambundu or Chokwe Democratic Republic of the Congo or Angola Central Africa

Mask in the Form of a Pig’s Head ([Mukishi wa] Ngulu)

Chokwe Angola