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Ceremonial Chair or Throne (citwamo ca mangu)
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
This citwamo ca mangu chair bears over 40 sculpted figures arranged in complex compositions across the chair’s top rail (back), stretchers (rungs), and legs; all symbolize the power of Chokwe supreme chiefs. Such chairs typically bear a dozen or fewer figures. Scenes of royal life and power wrap around the seat, reinforcing how the chief and his family are at the center of their polity and its business.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineCeremonial Chair or Throne (citwamo ca mangu), 1800s. Africa, Central Africa, Angola, Chokwe-style carver. Wood, upholstery studs, leather; overall: 107 x 55 x 55 cm (42 1/8 x 21 5/8 x 21 5/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund, 2024.140
