African furniture can be divided into two distinct categories: furniture inspired by European models and furniture carved of a single piece of wood in the ancient indigenous tradition. The Western-style chairs offered here were all inspired by 17th and 18th century European models. They are assembled rather than carved. They functioned as prestige seating for kings and persons of high status and they preserve chair types that disappeared from Europe centuries ago. Their decoration, however, is distinctly African making them an interesting hybrid reflecting the complex history of West Africa and Europe.
