Dayak Throne Chair with Hornbill Motifs

Scrolls curl tight at the end of each arm, like ferns waiting for spring.

This throne chair with hornbill motifs is Dayak, from Borneo, Indonesia, and contemporary. It is stone and wood. The hornbill holds an honored place in Dayak art and belief, and its image generally signals status and a link to the spirit world. Openwork carving fills the high pointed back with two birds in profile, wings and tails drawn out in long parallel lines among spiraling tendrils. Pierced panels below the arms continue the curving forms. The dark wood has a soft sheen on the arms and seat. It is 22 inches long and 52 high.

Plenty of chairs are comfortable. Fewer have a point of view.