African Ethnic Chokwe Chair
In many societies of Central Africa, such as the Chokwe and related peoples like the Songo and the Ovimbundu, functional artifacts are transformed into prestige objects that commemorate the power and status of the chief. Chokwe chiefs possess many elaborately carved articles, including ceremonial weapons, staffs of office, tobacco pipes, and seats of office like this example in the Museum's collection. Over the course of numerous encounters with European traders as early as the seventeenth century, Chokwe chiefs appropriated the design of certain types of Western artifacts. The seats of office, or "thrones," of Chokwe chiefs, with backs, leather-covered seats, and decorative brass tacks, are modeled upon European chairs. The decoration of the chair, however, remains distinctly Chokwe in style. The elaborate figurative scenes depicted on this and other seats of office are designed as symbolic microcosms of life and represent the breadth of a leader's concerns and responsibilities.
The back uprights contain scenes from the spiritual aspect of life, including depictions of ancestors or chiefs. The dance figures along the bottom and the masked figures along the second rung refer to Chokwe initiation rites. The conical masks, known as cikunza, promote fertility and are used during the circumcision rituals of Chokwe adolescents. The topmost rung features two ngungu birds.
The ngungu bird is the largest bird known to the Chokwe and is associated with hunting—a vocation with which Chokwe leaders closely identify. It is also a good omen, a sign of success in the hunt and therefore a sign of power. In addition, the ngungu serves as a mediator between the spiritual and earthly realms, and is often displayed with other symbols of chiefly power.
These quotidian scenes are universally identifiable to the king's constituency and serve as a juxtaposition to the ritual events depicted at the summit of the chair. The overall organization of these scenes creates a united visual narrative emphasizing the social harmony and continuity that is ultimately achieved through following the enlightened leadership of the chair's owner, namely, the chief.
The Chokwe kingdom rose to power during the late nineteenth century in the broad expanse of open savanna in the southern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo and northern Angola. As the Chokwe population expanded, they eventually conquered the previously dominant Lunda empire, which declined after the abolition of the slave trade in the 1830s. The Chokwe peoples thrived primarily because of the profitable trade of ivory, wax, and rubber with the Portuguese. Chokwe chairs are among the few African objects not carved from a single piece of wood, but are instead assembled in parts.
Although this artwork appears on the 20th-century segment of the Timeline, it is ascribed a date of 19th–20th century.
Source: www.metmuseum.org
Malawi: Carved Chairs
Malawians are among the best wood carvers in Africa. Visitors to this small central African country are inevitably captivated by sculpted heads, small dishes and carved village scenes.Malawians are among the best wood carvers in Africa. Visitors to this small central African country are inevitably captivated by sculpted heads, small dishes and carved village scenes. These make great gifts and are easily transported home, but if someone asks you to bring back a carved chair, you may balk at the prospect of excess baggage charges or squeezing it aboard an aircraft. No such fears for the cognoscenti. They know about such things.
They have heard all about Malawi's Chiefs' Chairs. The precise origin of these chairs is uncertain. Portable chairs are found in various parts of Africa: anyone who has been to Ghana will have come across the chiefs' stools. Until recently, it was not uncommon to see a West African village chief being followed by a man carrying his small stool, probably on his head.
The possession of furniture is still a mark of status in much of poorer Africa. Beds are luxury items and the ground is more often the resting place for the night, with a small head stool as a "pillow". Such items, like the Ghanaian stools, are compact, easily fashioned from wood and eminently portable.
The chairs were traditionally made from strong mpingo wood, but other woods are also used today. Each chair consists of just two pieces, which slot into one another. The smaller section is shaped like a paddle with a very short, curved handle. The blade forms the seat, the handle the back "leg". The other piece of wood is much larger and forms the back of the chair (with sides gently curving inwards) and the broad front "leg". The chair is assembled by slotting the seat through a hole in the back piece so that the "paddle handle" rests on the ground, forming an asymmetrical "X". The resulting chair tilts slightly backwards, most commonly prompting two questions from visitors: "is it comfortable?" and even, "can you really sit on it?"
The answer to both these questions is most assuredly "yes". While they often look too diminutive or fragile to support an adult, all but the smallest of chairs will provide a comfortable seat. Of course, there's something of a knack to using the chief's chair to full advantage. The best and most ergonomically correct position is to sit with the feet tucked back under the thighs. As long as the sitter's rear quarters don't greatly overlap the wooden seat, the chair will be as comfortable as anything from IKEA - and even more easily assembled.
The chairs vary in size and in the degree of decorative carving on the backs. As their attraction to visitors became apparent, much larger and more elaborately carved chairs began to be made. Measured by the length of the back section, the sizes now vary from about a metre to monster 1.6m examples, or larger. Visitors can also buy model chairs not intended for use.
Usually only the inner side of the back section is carved (although the carving is sometimes worked through from front to back to create a latticed effect). The outstandingly beautiful designs may depict animals, people, village scenes or plants. Today, most chairs are given a slightly polished surface that enhances the characteristic light and dark colours of the wood.
Chiefs' chairs are readily available from the craft markets and street traders of Blantyre and Lilongwe, but the widest selection comes from a string of small villages along a short section of the M3 road just north of Zomba. Prices are remarkably low - about a fifth of what's charged in an African craft shop in the UK - with a medium-sized chair costing on average £10-20. Having made your purchase there should be no problem in getting it home. The two pieces, disassembled, are almost flat and fit snugly together as a simple parcel which can even be transported as cabin baggage - although perhaps not if it's a metre-plus model.
Author: John Douglas
Fostoria American and Jobling 2077 Patterns Glass
Fostoria American and Jobling 2077 patterns are very similar, as Emily Seate, co-author of the book "Fostoria Stemware" pointed out. There has been some confusion which I hope this short piece helps to sort it out. John Bell, a glass specialist from the North East of England (the home of Joblings) has helped us by providing a photograph of his Jobling's bowl and many other people have contributed to the information now on this page.
The English company James A. Joblings & Co Ltd., produced a "3-handled salad bowl" and a "3-handled small bowl" in a very similar "icecube" pattern to Fostoria "American". This was part of an experiment in expensive quality pressed glass that Jobling's introduced in the mid-1930's, but discontinued in 1939 because the depression and the Second World War put an end to production.
The Jobling's catalogue form the mid 1930's shows only these two shapes in this pattern, and only in this colour (jade). However, an earlier catalogue shows these two three-handled bowls and in addition a large jug and small jug (each with one handle) and tumbler and low sugar bowl both without handles. There is a flint glass version and I have seen a deep turquoise version in John Bell's shop in the North East of England. These were probably made before the 1930s. Below is a photograph of the turquoise bowl belonging to John Bell and my clear glass set with one jade bowl.
The plain "icecubes" pattern (without the Jobling's star) was known in England as "Georgian" and was imported in large quantities by Charles Pratt's National Glass Company (which had showrooms in Charterhouse Street, London) along with another popular design "Chippendale" (patented in the USA in 1907). In 1931 the British Government introduced a 50% import duty on glass, and at that time the moulds for popular designs from overseas were bought and imported so that the glass could be made in Britain.
We know that the moulds for the Czechoslovakian design known as "Jacobean" were imported around 1931, and British firms then made that design, notably Davidsons. The moulds for "Chippendale" were imported from the USA and made at Davidsons. So it would not be surprising to find that the moulds for "Georgian" were also imported and the glass made in England during the 1930's. Davidson's did advertise a design they called "Georgian" at that time, but I have not so far found a picture of that design. The picture below shows two English versions of the ice cube design. On the left is a small Jobling 2077 bowl in jade, and on the right a sugar bowl which is marked on the inside "Made in England" in jade glass typical of Davidson's. This is probably an example of Davidson's "Georgian" pattern.
taken from : www.glass.co.nz
