AUGUST CONTEMPORARY, FINE ART, ANTIQUES
Lot 118:
Description
Handmade Chokwe wood and metal chair or ceremonial seat (ngundja) from central Africa, circa 1940s. Ornately carved with faces all over structure. Chokwe seats tend to be assembled of multiple wood and metal pieces, rather than carved from a single piece, and that is the case here – see the character of the joins in the photos. Originated from an ethnographic arts collection focusing on African art in Virginia. 42.5"h x 17.5w" x 27.5d" This chair or throne was one of the principal symbols of the authority of a Chokwe chief. The Chokwe state was founded in the sixteenth century, when nobles from the neighboring Lunda empire migrated to northern Angola and asserted their rule over local peoples. As the state grew in wealth and power, so too did the Chokwe chiefs, who emphasized the divine nature of their ancestry. The political and religious importance of the chiefs was underscored through the creation of lavishly carved utilitarian objects, including staffs, tobacco mortars, combs, and chairs, that served as insignia of rank and prestige.
Condition: good, light wear
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