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Rare African Solid Benin Bronze Ceremonial Throne Chair Multi Figure Sculpture

early 20th C.

$16,000
£12,215.93
€14,115.40
CA$22,460.97
A$25,035.09
CHF 13,135.05
MX$305,719.30
NOK 166,318.34
SEK 157,196.13
DKK 105,349.35

About the Item

Handmade Benin sculptural tribal bronze figural judgement throne chair. The base of the chair with two tiers of standing figures. The back of the chair with two more tiers of standing and squatting figures. Incised and applied abstract geometric decoration throughout the arms and the seat of the chair. Solid bronze with many full relief cast figurines. Height: 46 in x width: 24 in x depth: 31 in. Weight: 144 lbs 3 oz. The chair is stable and sturdy. Tarnishing and patina throughout. There are two missing figures along the base. One side of the chair is bent with cracks along the feet of the figures and along where the arm meets the chair. There are some losses along the edges throughout. There is a large crack to the center of the top railing. Dust and debris gathered in the recessed areas throughout. Areas of high polish along the arm rest. West African tribe Folk Art. Nigeria, Cameroon and Benin all have this similar antique figurative style. I was told this was from Benin when I purchased it but it might be Cameroonian or Nigerian as I have seen similar ones described thus. World-renowned for high-quality lost wax casting, the city of Benin in West Africa has been a leading producer of fine cast brass and bronze sculptures since as early as the 16th century. Most Benin bronze objects were commissioned specifically for the ancestral altars of past obas (rulers) and Iyobas (queen mothers), as well as for rituals to honor ancestors and to validate the succession of new obas. This is probably from the late 19th to early to mid 20th century. they are not signed or marked as intended. African Cast Bronze Ceremonial Figural Chairs. Cast as seat and base, with double galleried continuous arms and back, double gallery base, the galleries composed of various human figures, the seats with additional circular geometric designs.
  • Creation Year:
    early 20th C.
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 46 in (116.84 cm)Width: 24 in (60.96 cm)Depth: 31 in (78.74 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
    Please read description.
  • Gallery Location:
    Surfside, FL
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU38215207522

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