Tshokwe Chair, Angola

Galerie Entwistle, London

Sydney (1918-1987) and Lillian (1923-2011) Lichter Collection, New York, acquired from the above

Sotheby's, Paris, A New York Collection, November 30, 2010, lot 19

Daniel Hourdé Collection, Paris, acquired at the above auction

Warren Robbins and Nancy Nooter, African Art in American Collections, 1989, p. 395, no. 1005

The Chokwe, who lived mainly in Angola, produced prestigious artefacts for a refined court, designed to exude splendour and serve to exalt the religious and political power of the sovereign (sceptres, spears, snuff boxes and fine-looking pipes).

They also created beautiful caryatid chairs and stools. Inspired by European designs, they drew themes from the Chokwe people's daily life, history, religion, and mythology. These objects served to establish the authority of their owners. These pieces display remarkable creative flair, thanks to the diversity of their styles and the richness of their sculpted forms; they are of great artistic value, both from a formal and an ornamental perspective. 

This chair is made using mortise and tenon joints. With a hide-covered seat, this type of chair was commonly known as chitwamo cha ngundja.

On a slight incline, the backrest is adorned with a remarkable figure sculpted in the round and depicting a masked Chihongo dancer. It is a symbol of the prominence of its owner, as Chihongo represents the spirit of power and wealth. Arms crossed over his chest, he wears a characteristic fibre dance skirt and wide horizontal hat, the two items skilfully connecting him to the panel. The face shows great inner depth. The forehead is prominent and slightly rounded. The half-closed eyes, shaped like coffee beans, are set in large, concave sockets. The mouth has finely arched lips that are slightly parted. The flat, disc-shaped chin flares into a fan shape.

The openwork frame is adorned with charming incised geometric patterns. Delicate yet dynamic, their designs are highly graphic. Two naturalistic-looking masks dominate the top of the seat. They are probably Pwo masks that evoke the female ancestor. The eyes are closed. The bulging eyelids sit in the center of deep eye sockets. A sculpted fibre coiffure frames the faces.

On the crossbars, characters act out scenes depicting different aspects of Chokwe life. These include a horseman, a mother and child, a sculptor and some monkeys. The bat is very rarely depicted in Chokwe iconography. The fact that three mammals are shown hanging upside down on the right side of the chair adds to the remarkable nature of this object. 

The richness of the incised motifs and the intricacy of the carved figures attest to the sophistication of Chokwe art. The Barbier Mueller Museum has a chair that is very similar to this one.