The Lobi, in the south-west of Burkina Faso, make use of stools and such recliners for sitting and resting (see also cat. no. 137). The present Lobi recliner is an example of the characteristic type with a few particularities: it is made as a single piece from a tree trunk and stands on three legs, of which the front individual one in the form of a foot. With the help of jagged triangular cuts on its outer edges, the curved surface of the recliner is shaped to articulate individual body parts (head, neck, hips and knee). What is unusual in this recliner is the continuously carved, offset lower part for the resting of the legs of the sitter. A further particularity is the red linear paint which is still visibly present despite the heavy use the chair has seen. Thus, painted on the recliner’s head, for instance, a face can be made out – with eyes, eyebrows and nose. Overall an interesting everyday object of the Lobi, with only minimal age-related damage: slightly chipped edges and small hole in the surface of the recliner. Boasting a convincing old shiny patina as a result of protracted use. Height: 72 cm (upper end), 34 cm (lower end); width: 29 cm (centre). First half of the 20th century. (ME)

Provenance:
Austrian Private Collection.