H x W x D: 21.6 x 23.5 x 22.2 cm (8 1/2 x 9 1/4 x 8 3/4 in.)
Type:
Decorative Arts
Geography:
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Date:
Late 19th-early 20th century
Label Text:
This stool was carved from a single block of wood. Special attention has been paid to the embellishment of the surface with imported brass tacks. Stools like this one are illustrated in European travelers' accounts of their visits to Central Africa during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Such stools were the perogative of chiefs or important individuals who could afford the relatively expensive brass tacks used to decorate them.
Description:
Wood stool with a curved rectangular seat and two slab legs on a long axis, covered with rows of brass upholstery tacks.
Provenance:
Michael Graham-Stewart, London, -- to 1989
Exhibition History:
Art of the Personal Object, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., September 24, 1991-April 9, 2007
Content Statement:
As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.
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