Object Details
Maker
Asante artist
Label Text
Chairs among the Asante are royal or chiefly regalia and are used on state occasions. Derived from 17th-century European prototypes, they lack the spiritual symbolism of stools but do convey prestige. The number of chairs and the degree of elaboration vary with of importance of the ruler. The asipim is the most common. The name means "I stand firm," a reference both to its own sturdy construction and the stability of the ruler.
Description
Low armless chair with slightly inclined backrest with arched top and cast copper alloy finials. The back and seat are of stretched leather attached with brass upholstery tacks. The wood frame is decorated with upholstery tacks, bosses and strips of sheet brass.
Provenance
Unknown maker, Ghana, unknown date; left Asante community under unknown circumstances; acquired by Bud C. Holland (1922-1994) with B.C. Holland Gallery, Chicago, unknown date; given to the Institute of Design, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, by 1993; given as a prize in the Institue of Design Sweepstakes to Tom (born 1945) and Rita Bakos (born 1946), Harrisburg, PA, 1993; donated to the National Museum of African Art, 2000.
Exhibition History
The Power of Gold: Asante Royal Regalia from Ghana, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, Texas, April 15 to August 12, 2018
BIG/small, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., January 17-July 23, 2006
Published References
Walker, Roslyn A. 2018. The Power of Gold: Asante Royal Regalia from Ghana. Dallas: Dallas Museum of Art. illustrated p. 89
Hoffman, Ronald. 2007. "'The Bloody Writing is For Ever Torn': Domestic and International Consequences of the First Governmental Efforts to Abolish the Atlantic Slave Trade." Conference DVD set (August 8-12, Accra and Elmina, Ghana). Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press.
Content Statement
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Credit Line
Gift of Tom and Rita Bakos
Date
Late 19th-early 20th century
Object number
2000-19-1
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Type
Decorative Arts
Medium
Wood, copper alloy, iron, leather, fur, paint
Dimensions
H x W x D: 76.5 x 42.4 x 48.9 cm (30 1/8 x 16 11/16 x 19 1/4 in.)
Geography
Ghana
See more items in
National Museum of African Art Collection
Data Source
National Museum of African Art
Topic
Status
male
Link to Original Record
Record ID
nmafa_2000-19-1