The Makonde tribe of Tanzania and northern Mozambique carved "The Mozambique Chair" from a single piece of wood, shaping it into an abstract female form: statuesque features in the face, a long braid in the hair, and a figure above the backrest representing an ancestor who may be called upon for protection, prosperity, or good luck.
The chair stands upright on three legs, its surfaces incised with geometric designs, and it serves as sculpture as naturally as it serves as a seat. It is free of fillers, dyes, stains, and varnishes, and only one exists.
