Chief’s Throne “Citwamo Ca Mangu"
Chokwe people, DR Congo, d. early 20th c.
Carved wood and metal nails
Ex–old Belgian collection
29½” h x 15¾” w x 15” d (74.93 x 39.98 x 38.10 cm)
SOLD
A remarkable chief’s throne that, while structurally inspired by the 17th-century European straight-backed chair, served a wholly indigenous religio-political function and is purely Chokwe in its iconography (vide Kauenhoven-Janzen 1981; Benitez-Johannot 2004: 75). The top rail of the throne at hand is embellished with finely rendered anthropomorphic figures, and all four stretchers are ornamented with carved scenes of splendid workmanship. In addition to animals and characters from Chokwe mythology, the throne features Chokwe men bearing firearms and a childbirth scene strongly reminiscent of the example in Bronson (1978: 156–7, fig. 85). The components of this throne are secured with native-made nails.
According to Kauenhoven-Janzen (1981: 69), “[t]he primary function of a Chokwe throne is not so much that of an elaborate piece of furniture or symbol, but rather that of an icon of authority advocating order and speaking of supreme spiritual power.” The fabrication of chief’s thrones was the exclusive province of professional woodcarvers, who were commissioned directly by chiefs; by the mid-1930s they had become scarce objects (Kauenhoven-Janzen 1981: 69–70).
