Art Institute of Chicago

Royal Chair (Akonkromfi)

Asante

Date

Probably mid–/late 19th century

Medium

Wood, brass, and leather

Culture

Ghana

Department

Arts of Africa

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

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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