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Royal Chair (Akonkromfi)

A work made of wood, brass, and leather.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of wood, brass, and leather.

Date:

Probably mid–/late 19th century

Artist:

Asante
Ghana
Coastal West Africa

About this artwork

At the height of Asante power in the 18th and 19th centuries, a wide variety of decorative seats, ranging from stools to chairs and palanquins, were developed as symbols of rulership. The wooden frame of this akonkromfi chair is covered with brass knobs, tacks, and decorative repousséd sheeting. Akonkromfi means “praying mantis,” a reference to the chair’s crossed legs, which are derived from a European folding-chair prototype. Akonkromfi are mainly reserved for festive occasions, when they may be carried alongside a chief in procession or used to support the stool that is the ultimate symbol of his divinely sanctioned power.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Arts of Africa

Culture

Asante

Title

Royal Chair (Akonkromfi)

Place

Ghana (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1850–1875

Medium

Wood, brass, and leather

Dimensions

96.5 × 61 × 53.3 cm (38 × 24 × 21 in.)

Credit Line

Purchased with funds provided by Jamee J. and Marshall Field

Reference Number

2000.347

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

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https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/155988/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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