Hand Carved African Baule Tribal Chairs, Ivory Coast, Early 20th century

E?thiopian and other African-influenced furniture had been made in Europe from the 1850s, the most famous being Adolf Loos’s “Theban stool” designed aroun...

Mid-century designers were eager to break free from the aesthetics of the past and experiment with new forms, and techniques. At the same time, especially in Europe, the modernist design movement was often based on traditional styles and techniques, such as turned chairs. Turned chairs — sometimes called thrown chairs or spindle chairs — represent a style of Elizabethan or Jacobean turned furniture that had a vogue in the late 16th and early 17th century. The technique was carried on to the 20th century and was widespread in Europe as well, where craftsmen created durable pieces for various interiors and purposes. In turned furniture, the individual wooden spindles of the piece were made by shaping them with chisels and gouges while they were being spun, or turned between the centre points of a lathe. The construction of this pair is evocative of the more robust Arts and Crafts Movement, featuring subtle decorative elements such as the finials atop the backs. The sphere-shaped finials aren’t the only ornamentations on the design; the shape of the two splats on the back, the carved stretchers and carving on the feet are all decorative features that make this pair visually arresting. In later turned chairs, like this pair, rush seats were common. Here, the seats are woven around the frames with a light colour that beautifully contrasts to the dark, patinated wood. The partnership of the two natural materials is very effective as well; the wood and rush pair...

Although the designs of the mid-century era were wide-ranging in style, they often shared such characteristics as clean lines, organic shapes, and functionality. These elaborate armc...

In the realm of mid-century furniture, there exist turned furniture with a historical charm that exudes timeless elegance and craftsmanship, harkening back to the design sensibilitie...

This exquisite pair of 19th-century ceremonial chairs originates from the Baule people of the Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire), celebrated for their masterful craftsmanship and rich artis...

A wonderfully pair of sculptural early 20th century Ethiopian Gurage Stools carved of one piece of wood showing a hand carved texture, with three curved legs supporting a convex bowl...

Rare period Senoufo chair from ivory coast or Benin. Remarkable woodwork carved in an ethnic way with different characters and animals represented on the whole chair. Decorative ch...

Beautiful patina on this 19th century hand carved wooden chair from the Ivory Coast of Africa. This can also be used as a low side table. A piece of art. This chair was sourced in...