Chair (Kiti Cha Enzi)

This chair illustrates the complex history of trade and conquest in the region known as the Swahili Coast. The region's natural harbors first invited exchange with partners in the Persian Gulf and Western India. Later, the Portuguese, Omani, and British imposed their authority. Each conquering state brought goods, practices, and other foreign influences, which local artisans artfully synthesized and reshaped in their own chairs.