Brooklyn Museum Collection

Stewart Culin collected this side chair in Zuni Pueblo in 1904, calling it an “Ancient kneeling chair." The chair is pieced together from 11 planks and 4 square posts. Its ornamentation is limited to horizontal grooves and soft scalloping on the lower rails. The crest rail displays a series of peaks along its upper edge, apparently cut across previously inscribed horizontal lines. Below the lines is a series of irregularly, squarish gouge holes. The rear stiles' finials are stepped, and their top set-back shows a rough area where a segment may have broken off. The front stiles show grooving and exposed top ends that may have been covered by a forward seat plank. Nails secure the seat planks to the frame, but rails and stiles are joined with open mortise-and-tendon joints. Although Culin interpreted the stepped finials as Indian cloud forms In Spain, Islamic, North African stepped designs were also common forms. Other Hispanic traits include the mortis-and-joint construction and rectangular forming of its members and the use of staining. It has been suggested that it also demonstrates European proportions: about 2/3 vara by 1/2 vara (Spanish yard). If the finials had not broken off it would resemble the scrolled rear stiles of modest Spanish renaissance chairs. Scholar Ramon Gutierrez raises questions regarding its meaning to Pueblo culture. He argues that Franciscans studied and manipulated Pueblo society to establish Christian authority and values and therefore the chair may represent an effort to impose Catholic-Spanish culture on the part of an unwilling native maker. If "always offered" to a guest of Euro-culture the chair may have meant respect for or control of that visitor, depending on the social, political, and gender status of both host and guest within Pueblo culture in the 1800s.

This type of quilled article is a prime example of the ingenuity of the artist to take traditional materials, quills, normally used in bags and clothing decoration and fashion a new item for the trade markets. The seat cushion reflects the Victorian mode of seat cushions used in non-Native homes of the period.

Carved wooden chair with an upholstered seat. Four legs are carved on three sides and topped by carved heads, two at front are animals, and two at back are human, all have abalone shell eyes. All interior surfaces of chair are carved. Backrest has carved human face at top. Designs include ovoid, circle, eye, and animal forms, combined with plant, leaves, and other design elements. Red paint and dark stain applied. Small white stones are inset into edges of chair. Brown upholstery cushion, with metal studs along base.

Circular based chair has rectangular back and curved armrest with same decorative intertwined bamboo splints. Bamboo splints interwoven in plait-like weave on seat, surrounded by bamboo grass tied with bark. Support of 2 inverted v shaped branches, one part of branch in base the other extends behind chair; all joints affixed with black glue. Criss-crossing bark under seat, and wrapping around rim underneath gathered bamboo grass. Base: wide smooth overlapping wood strip forms circular base; crisscrossing bamboo strips extend upward from base to wooden rim at bottom of chair seat. Black adhesive is used on all joints.

Chief's wooden seat with rounded back and two side panels with decorative edges. Three wood slats on bottom at ends and middle. One on top edge. Painted back panel of figure (?), side panels painted on both sides with u-forms, ovoids and split-u forms. Bark used to tie back side bar, on left side, to back and side panel. Colours: blue, black, and red.

Pair of wide "v" shaped wooden legs with brass accents and rivets; engraved brass plates depicting grape-like plants with a bushy-tailed animal crouching beneath them are featured on one side of parts a and b. Wood legs are painted black, excepting the undersides of both parts.