Chief's Throne

19th century

Asante, African

On View

African, Level 1, North Wing

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About the Artwork

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Provenance

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Published References

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Catalogue Raisonné

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Credit Line for Reproduction

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Audio Transcript

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About the Artwork

The Akan stool is a staple in most Asante households in Ghana. Its distinctively curved top provides a comfortable seat, while its sturdy bottom ensures stability.

In politics, though, the stool is not just an item of furniture but also the most critical object in an Akan chief’s official regalia. Akan leaders receive them at their elevations to chiefhood, sanctioning their authority and right to rule. Seeing a courtier carrying the stool over his shoulders at any social event indicates that the chief is approaching. The chief and his stool are so inseparable that the seat may be ritually consecrated after the ruler’s death to become an abode for his soul and placed alongside the similarly preserved stools of his predecessors. This oversized stool indicates the leader’s superior status, and the gold trimmings on top and four corners of the curved seat speak to the court's wealth and the object’s intended ceremonial use.

Title Chief's Throne

Artwork Date 19th century

Artist ----------

Life Dates ----------

Nationality Please note: Definitions for nationality may vary significantly, depending on chronology and world events. Some definitions include: Belonging to a people having a common origin based on a geography and/or descent and/or tradition and/or culture and/or religion and/or language, or sharing membership in a legally defined nation. African

Culture Please note: Cultures may be defined by the language, customs, religious beliefs, social norms, and material traits of a group. Asante

Medium Wood and gold

Dimensions Overall: 18 5/8 × 31 3/4 × 15 5/8 inches (47.3 × 80.6 × 39.7 cm)

Classification Sculpture

Department African Art

Credit Museum Purchase, Friends of African and African American Art

Accession Number This unique number is assigned to an individual artwork as part of the cataloguing process at the time of entry into the permanent collection. Most frequently, accession numbers begin with the year in which the artwork entered the museum’s holdings. For example, 2008.3 refers to the year of acquisition and notes that it was the 3rd of that year. The DIA has a few additional systems—no longer assigned—that identify specific donors or museum patronage groups. 2006.70

Markings

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Provenance

Albert Nuamah (Detroit, Michigan, USA);
2006-present, purchase by the Detroit Institute of Arts (Detroit, Michigan, USA)

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Exhibition History

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Published References

Quarcoopome, Nii. “Akan Leadership and Status Objects.” Bulletin of the DIA 91, no. 1/4 (2017): p. 32 (fig. 2.5a-b). [cited incorrectly as 2006.76]

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Catalogue Raisoneé

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Credit Line for Reproduction

Asante, African, Chief's Throne, 19th century, wood and gold. Detroit Institute of Arts, Museum Purchase, Friends of African and African American Art, 2006.70.