Cleveland Museum of Art

Part of a chair

Date

1900s

Medium

Wood

Culture

Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mangbetu style, unknown carver

Department

African Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

This wooden piece is part of a folding chair. Along with a similarly shaped and ornamented piece, it was part of the frame for the plaited reed seat. The holes were functional and allowed the frame of the chair to open or close. The most elaborate decoration was reserved for the upper back of the chair. The simple carving at the top of this fragment depicts a Mangbetu woman with an elongated head. When chairs were used, their wood became a rich, dark brown. The light color of this fragment suggests it was never used and may never have been assembled into a chair.

The authoritative record is held by Cleveland Museum of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.