Asante
Ghana
Coastal West Africa
Royal Chair (Akonkromfi)
INV-1559
Asante
Ghana
Coastal West AfricaProbably mid–/late 19th century
Royal Chair (Akonkromfi)
Asante Ghana Coastal West Africa →asanteArts of Africaafrican ArtCoastal West Africawoodarts of Africa
Date
Probably mid–/late 19th century
Medium
Wood, brass, and leather
Dimensions
104.2 × 55.9 × 48.3 cm (41 × 22 × 19 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Purchased with funds provided by Jamee J. and Marshall Field
At the height of Asante power in the 18th and 19th centuries, a wide variety of decorative seats, ranging from stools to chairs and palanquins, were developed as symbols of rulership. The wooden frame of this akonkromfi chair is covered with brass knobs, tacks, and decorative repousséd sheeting. Akonkromfi means “praying mantis,” a reference to the chair’s crossed legs, which are derived from a European folding-chair prototype. Akonkromfi are mainly reserved for festive occasions, when they may be carried alongside a chief in procession or used to support the stool that is the ultimate symbol of his divinely sanctioned power.
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