This chair is one of the objects made, as part of the "Transforming Arms into Ploughshares" project, from discarded weapons collected after the civil war in Mozambique. This throne was made by Mozambican artist Cristóvão Canhavato (Kester) in 2001.
Under the TAE project - Transformaçaõ de Armas em Enxadas (Transforming Arms into Tools) - weapons previously used by combatants on both sides are voluntarily exchanged for agricultural, domestic and construction tools. The project was established in 1995 in Maputo by Bishop Dinis Sengulane of the Christian Council of Mozambique with the support of Christian Aid.
The components of the throne to some extent reflect the international arms trade, though guns from all over the world, including the Western powers, are collected by the TAE team. The principal feature is the Russian AK47 rifle but there are also sections from Eastern European, Portuguese and North Korean guns. The throne has an added significance in Africa where carved stools and chairs are symbols of power and prestige. Examples from Ghana, the Congo and Zanzibar, for example, may be seen in the African collections of the British Museum.
This chair is one of the objects made, as part of the "Transforming Arms into Ploughshares" project, from discarded weapons collected after the civil war in Mozambique. This throne was made by Mozambican artist Cristóvão Canhavato (Kester) in 2001.
Under the TAE project - Transformaçaõ de Armas em Enxadas (Transforming Arms into Tools) - weapons previously used by combatants on both sides are voluntarily exchanged for agricultural, domestic and construction tools. The project was established in 1995 in Maputo by Bishop Dinis Sengulane of the Christian Council of Mozambique with the support of Christian Aid.
The components of the throne to some extent reflect the international arms trade, though guns from all over the world, including the Western powers, are collected by the TAE team. The principal feature is the Russian AK47 rifle but there are also sections from Eastern European, Portuguese and North Korean guns. The throne has an added significance in Africa where carved stools and chairs are symbols of power and prestige. Examples from Ghana, the Congo and Zanzibar, for example, may be seen in the African collections of the British Museum.