A Soba chair

A Soba chair
wood
carved backrest "Face over vertical grooves", other carved decorations "Geometric motifs", leather seat
Angolan - Tshokwe
20th C. (mid)
many defects and faults in the leather, other faults and defects
Purchased in the Soba Jamba sanzala, on May 30, 1970, in the northern population concentration of Lumeje
Dimensões (altura x comprimento x largura) - 40 x 20 x 30 cm
Notes: Provenance: Collection of Engineer Elísio Romariz dos Santos Silva,  item no. 6, referred to in the collector's notebook «Angola - Arte Negra, Relação e descrição das peças», identified there by «Chair (Txituamo)»: "Back splat decorated with a face on vertical grooves. Decoration on the back geometric shape based on a square. The legs, stretchers and back splats support decorated with engraved circles and grooves perpendicular to the axes of the pieces [...] Purchased [...] from a kioco in Soba Jamba's sanzala, on May 30, 1970 in the northern concentration of Lumeje". Other soba chairs are represented in REDINHA, José - "Album Etnográfico Portugal-Angola". Luanda: C.I.T.A, 1971, p. 61; em DIAS, Jorge (direc.) - "Escultura Africana no Museu de Etnologia do Ultramar". Lisboa: Junta de Investigações do Ultramar, 1968, s/p, nº 150; em JORDÁN, Manuel. “Chokwe!- Art and Initiation Among Chokwe and Related Peoples”. Munich/London/New York: Prestel-Verlag, 1998, s/p, nºs 18-19 (como "Chief's throne"); in BASTIN, Marie-Louise. "La sculpture Tshokwe”. Arcueil: Alain et Françoise Chaffin, 1982, pp. 271-280, figs. 186-195 (as "Chaise"); and in KIANGALA, Manuel (direc.) - "A Evolução dos Tronos Lunda - Cokwe". Igombota: Museu Nacional de Antropologia/R. P. Angola, 1989, pp. 27-31 e 44-47.