King playing the sanza

A magnificent example of the visual power of the arts of the Tchokwe court of Angola, this statuette was brought back to Europe in 1893-1894 by a Portuguese missionary to a Tchokwe chief of the region of Quibicolo, in the north of the country.
The figure of the king, seated on a folding chair and holding in his hands a "thumb piano" or sanza, originates in a classical iconography for the representation of power in the Angolan Tchokwe. His attitude and position, the high headdress atop his head, the focus on his hands and feet, his muscular lines and the emphasis placed on his arms, his large almond-shaped eyes – all are characteristics of the presentation of the chief, often depicted as a hunter-surveyor or adopting a ritual attitude.
The musician king, seated on a "throne" of western origin that indicates his prestige, produces a feeling of harmony. The energy generated by his compact body is a guarantee of well-being and security for his people.
Hairpieces were inserted into holes in the top of his head, and a beard on his chin emphasised the idealised realism of the depiction.