The hand carved throne chair
A throne chair is a seat made to be seen. Before anyone sits in it, it already says something about the room it stands in: that this is where attention gathers. Carved by hand, it is also a sculpture. Figures, animals and patterns rise out of the same wood that carries the weight of the sitter.
The thrones in this collection are carved in solid mongongo wood. Each one is the work of a master carver and a small team, and each exists once. No drawing is repeated, no mould is kept, and no second throne of the same design will follow.
What makes a carved wood throne chair different
Most throne chairs on the market are built the way any chair is built. Back, seat, arms and legs are cut separately, then joined, and ornament is applied afterwards. The result can look rich, but the decoration and the structure are two different things.
A hand carved throne chair works the other way round. The carver shapes the chair from solid wood, and the figures are part of what holds it up. A face on the backrest is not attached to the backrest; it is the backrest. Each throne in this collection is monobloc, carved from a single block of mongongo, with no joints and nothing glued on. That is why carving a throne is slow, and why the result cannot be copied by a workshop that assembles.
Ten to twelve months for one chair
A carved chair in this collection takes between 10 and 12 months. The time is not spent on finishing touches. Most of it goes into the carving itself: reading the wood, removing material a little at a time, and deciding at each stage what the figure will become. On a solid piece, every cut is permanent, so the work cannot be hurried.
The thrones in the collection
Each throne below is carved in mongongo wood, as stated on its own page.
- Makonde Royal Throne Chair: figures carved in the Makonde tradition, rising through the back.
- Makonde Royal Throne Chair: a second Makonde throne, carved as a separate work, with its own composition.
- Maasai Royal Throne Chair: carved in the Maasai style.
- Maasai Queen Throne Chair: a companion piece in the same style, conceived as a work in its own right.
- Maasai Throne Chair: a lower, more open Maasai throne.
- Gorilla Wildlife Throne Chair: an animal form carved into the structure of the seat.
- Wildlife Sculptural Throne Chair: animal figures carried across the whole chair.
Where a throne chair belongs
A throne is rarely one chair among many. It works best where it can be seen whole: at the end of a long room, in an entrance hall, in a library or a study. Because the carving runs around the piece, the back and sides matter as much as the front. Dimensions and finish notes appear on each piece's page, so the space can be planned before an enquiry.
How much is a throne chair?
There is no single price for a hand carved throne chair. The price depends on the wood, the size of the piece, the months of carving and the master who carved it. A throne assembled from parts and a throne carved by hand over a year are different objects, and they are priced differently.
Prices are given on each piece's page, or confirmed in writing on request. Delivery is worldwide, arranged after contact, and the lead time from confirmation to delivery is confirmed in writing.
Questions we are asked
Can a throne chair be used every day?
Yes. It is made to be sat in. Keep it away from standing water, direct sun and sharp swings in temperature, because the wood still moves.
Can I order the same throne again?
No. Each throne is one of one. A new piece can be carved to order, but it will be a different work.
Is the throne assembled on arrival?
No. Each throne is carved from a single block, so there is nothing to assemble.
See more functional art examples, read about the sculptural chair, or explore the collection.