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Armchair

African, Cote d'Ivoire, Baule peoples
20th century
Object Place: Mali

Medium/Technique Wood
Dimensions Overall: 65.5 x 63 cm (25 13/16 x 24 13/16 in.)
Credit Line Gift of Geneviève McMillan in memory of Reba Stewart
Accession Number2009.2567
NOT ON VIEW
ClassificationsFurnitureSeating and beds
This small chair, which resembles a European chair, is used among the Baule, Guro, Gere, and Dan peoples. The chairs originally had no backs, but backs may have been incorporated into their design upon contact with Europeans. This type of chair is reserved for village elders, who sit on them during the day and use them as headrests at night.

ProvenanceAbout 1960, sold by Galerie Carrefour, Paris, to Geneviève McMillan (b. 1922 - d. 2008), Cambridge, MA; 2008, to the Geneviève McMillan and Reba Stewart Foundation, Cambridge; 2009, gift of the Geneviève McMillan and Reba Stewart Foundation to the MFA. (Accession Date: June 17, 2009)