This small Ethiopian chair exhibits a beautiful form, with three supporting legs consisting of alternating curved and vertical forms, and an enveloping back support with an unusual cut-out void structure. The surface of the supports, the rim of the seat and the front of the backrest have been finely decorated with engraved patterns of zig-zags, diamond shapes and striations.
High-backed wooden chairs figure prominently in the installation of chiefs among different groups in southern Ethiopia -serving as symbols of rank and entitlement during meetings by the council of elders.
Estimated Period: Late 19th/Early 20th Century
Ex Private Family Collection, Addis Ababa
Diameter: 40cm
Seat Height: 29cm
Seat Depth: 34cm
Height: 48cm
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