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Aug 12, 2009
Aug 12, 2009
Aug 12, 2009
Aug 12, 2009
Prestige Chair
Prestige Chair
1800s
Wood and paint
Overall: 80.7 x 53.3 x 44.5 cm (31 3/4 x 21 x 17 1/2 in.)
Gift in memory of his parents, Wheeler B. and Dorothy Preston by Mary and John Preston 1983.33
Location
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Description
This stately chair attributed to the Babanki peoples of the Cameroon Grassfields features an unusual configuration
of male and female figures. They are mounted on stylized leopards, animals revered as embodiments of power and
royalty, which stand atop a base of three undulating rings bearing 24 heads. Chairs like this one serve as visual records
that help mark kingships through the ages, conveying power and authority. The chair type was relatively common at the
time; they were carved for sale to Europeans and local patrons, and also used as articles of royal gift exchange.
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