Minneapolis Institute of Art

Platform rocking chair

Designer: Wenzel Friedrich

Date

c. 1880–90

Medium

Horn, ivory and glass with ocelot upholstery

Department

Arts of the Americas

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Nothing says “Wild West” like a chair made from the horns of those icons of the American West, Texas Longhorn cattle. These cattle were prized for their meat and hides, but no one had any use for their dramatic horns. Enter Wenzel Friedrich, a German immigrant who moved to San Antonio, Texas, and saw an opportunity. He became the premier maker of horn furniture by the late 1800s. His clients included not only wealthy Americans, but Europeans looking for an exotic taste of the West, including Britain’s Queen Victoria. United States, Americas

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