Lobi
High-Backed Seat
Lobi, 1919-1959
Scroll
Lobi
High-Backed Seat
Lobi, 1919-1959
Physical Qualities
Wood, iron, 25 13/16 x 7 1/2 x 36 in. (65.5 x 19.1 x 91.4 cm.)
Credit Line
Purchased as the gift of the Friends of the Arts of Africa, the Pacific and the Americas
Object Number
2011.89
Seats used by Lobi men usually have three legs, while seats made for Lobi women typically have four. The forms of the seats vary widely according to the wishes of the owner and vision of the sculptor. The seats on view here display variations on human and animal forms. The man’s seat adorned with a pair of seated figures, perhaps a portrayal of twins, would playfully appear upright when the owner carried the seat over his shoulder. The diminutive woman’s seat takes the shape of a figure on all fours with downcast head. The third seemingly abstract seat has a high sweeping back with geometric shapes and ridges that suggest zoomorphic attributes.
The Baltimore Museum of Art by purchase, 2011; Arte Primitivo, NY; Private collection, NY; John Dintenfass
Hand Held: Personal Arts from Africa
Imagining Home
"Arte Primitivo: Tribal Art, Pre-Columbian, Classical & Asian Antiquities." Auction catalogue for on-line sales, lot closing May 23, 2011at 11:00am: p. 8, Lot 21.
