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Part of a chair
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
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.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit linePart of a chair, 1900s. Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mangbetu style, unknown carver. Wood; overall: 49.9 x 2.6 x 4.6 cm (19 5/8 x 1 x 1 13/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of the Gilpin Players of Karamu House, 1929.323
