Throne of Weapons
Encyclopedia
The Throne of Weapons is a sculpture created by Cristóvão Canhavato out of disused weapons. It has been owned by the British Museum
since 2002. It has been called the Museum's most "eloquent object" and it may have been shown in a wider variety of ways than any other object.
in southern Mozambique
. Canhavato works under the name of Kester as part of a co-operative called Associação Núcleo de Arte. Kester was born in 1966 and his artistic education took place at the artist's collective - although he already had a knowledge of engineering construction. The artists collective was supported by Christian Aid
and another Christian group led by Bishop Dinis Sengulane
as part of an organisation called "Transformacao de Armas em Enxadas" or "Transforming Arms into Tools".
The throne has been signed by the artist, but as the curators have noted, the throne has also been "signed" by termites who have traditionally damaged African wooden sculptures. Kester, the artist, points out the smiling faces that he has included in his work even though his relatives were injured by weapons like these. At the top of the right hand rifle butt is a human face, but the face was only "found" by the artist. The holes and marks are the remains of where a strap had been attached when it was carried by its owner. The symbol Kester created was the gothic shape at the back which is intended to symbolise a church.
The "Transforming Arms into Tools" organisation supplied the decommissioned weapons to Kester and his group for this and many other related pieces of sculpture. The guns, mostly AK-47 assault rifles, were manufactured in Portugal
, Eastern Europe and North Korea
. The H&K G3 rifle
s used to form the backrest were designed in Germany
and manufactured in Portugal
. They were widely used throughout West Africa. The Russian contribution of the iconic AK47 rifle
is important to the design - an AK-47, it, a hoe and a book still feature on Mozambique's flag
.
On the front of the chair is a North Korean manufactured AKM
rifle and a single PPSh-43 submachinegun, and the weapons that make up the seat were made in Poland
and Czechoslavakia.
The weapons in Mozambique arise from a civil war that was funded by South Africa and Rhodesia and involved emigrants from their apartheid regimes. One million people were killed and the war only ended when the Soviet Union collapsed and the funding ended. Kofi Annan
said when this chair was being discussed, "We don't manufacture weapons, we sometimes don't even have money to buy them. How do we get these weapons to kill each other?"
. The resulting piece was called "Tree of Life
" and it was exhibited in the museum's main area from February 2005.
has been an artists collective since the 1930s and despite the end of empire and a civil war it is still supporting artists as it did to Maputo painter Malangatana Ngwenya
in the 1950s.
The symbolism of recycling decommissioned weapons from around the world is self evident. However there is an added meaning because chairs can be a symbol of authority in Africa. A nineteenth century example of a chief's chair from Ghana is shown for comparison.
The Throne of Weapons was sent on tour by the British Museum and has been exhibited in a large number of schools, shopping centres, museums, cathedrals, community spaces and a prison around the United Kingdom. It has travelled internationally but also toured Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England. It has been called the Museum's most "eloquent object" and it may have been shown in a wider variety of ways than any other artefact.
The sculpture was chosen to be featured in A History of the World in 100 Objects
, a series of radio programmes that started in 2010 as a collaboration between the BBC
and the British Museum.
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
since 2002. It has been called the Museum's most "eloquent object" and it may have been shown in a wider variety of ways than any other object.
Description
The sculpture was created by a sculptor who was born Cristóvão Estavão Canhavato in ZavalaZavala, Mozambique
Zavala, also known as Quissico, is a city in Mozambique. It is the capital of the Zavala District.The town lies on the Mozambique Channel coast and the EN1 road. It is known for its lagoons and for its musicianship....
in southern Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
. Canhavato works under the name of Kester as part of a co-operative called Associação Núcleo de Arte. Kester was born in 1966 and his artistic education took place at the artist's collective - although he already had a knowledge of engineering construction. The artists collective was supported by Christian Aid
Christian Aid
Christian Aid is the official relief and development agency of 40 British and Irish churches and works to support sustainable development, alleviate poverty, support civil society and provide disaster relief in South America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Africa and Asia...
and another Christian group led by Bishop Dinis Sengulane
Dinis Sengulane
Dinis Salomão Sengulane is the Anglican Bishop of Lebombo, Maputo, Mozambique. He helped to end the Mozambican Civil War and helped with the surrender of 600,000 weapons that were notably converted into art.-Biography:...
as part of an organisation called "Transformacao de Armas em Enxadas" or "Transforming Arms into Tools".
The throne has been signed by the artist, but as the curators have noted, the throne has also been "signed" by termites who have traditionally damaged African wooden sculptures. Kester, the artist, points out the smiling faces that he has included in his work even though his relatives were injured by weapons like these. At the top of the right hand rifle butt is a human face, but the face was only "found" by the artist. The holes and marks are the remains of where a strap had been attached when it was carried by its owner. The symbol Kester created was the gothic shape at the back which is intended to symbolise a church.
The "Transforming Arms into Tools" organisation supplied the decommissioned weapons to Kester and his group for this and many other related pieces of sculpture. The guns, mostly AK-47 assault rifles, were manufactured in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, Eastern Europe and North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
. The H&K G3 rifle
Heckler & Koch G3
The G3 is a 7.62mm battle rifle developed in the 1950s by the German armament manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH in collaboration with the Spanish state-owned design and development agency CETME ....
s used to form the backrest were designed in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and manufactured in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. They were widely used throughout West Africa. The Russian contribution of the iconic AK47 rifle
AK-47
The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...
is important to the design - an AK-47, it, a hoe and a book still feature on Mozambique's flag
Flag of Mozambique
The flag of Mozambique was adopted on May 1, 1983. It includes the image of an AK-47 with a bayonet attached to the barrel and is the only national flag in the world to feature such a modern rifle....
.
On the front of the chair is a North Korean manufactured AKM
AKM
The AKM is a 7.62mm assault rifle designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is an upgraded version of the AK-47 rifle and was developed in the 1950s....
rifle and a single PPSh-43 submachinegun, and the weapons that make up the seat were made in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and Czechoslavakia.
The weapons in Mozambique arise from a civil war that was funded by South Africa and Rhodesia and involved emigrants from their apartheid regimes. One million people were killed and the war only ended when the Soviet Union collapsed and the funding ended. Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
said when this chair was being discussed, "We don't manufacture weapons, we sometimes don't even have money to buy them. How do we get these weapons to kill each other?"
Provenance
The throne was purchased by the British Museum in 2002. The sculpture had been brought to England by Christian Aid as part of an exhibition called "Swords into Ploughshares. Transforming Arms into Art". In 2005 the museum went on to commission another art work from the same group of artists in MaputoMaputo
Maputo, also known as Lourenço Marques, is the capital and largest city of Mozambique. It is known as the City of Acacias in reference to acacia trees commonly found along its avenues and the Pearl of the Indian Ocean. It was famous for the inscription "This is Portugal" on the walkway of its...
. The resulting piece was called "Tree of Life
Tree of Life (Kester)
The Tree of Life is a sculpture created by four artists in Mozambique. It was commissioned and then installed in the British Museum in 2005...
" and it was exhibited in the museum's main area from February 2005.
Importance
The Associação Núcleo de Arte in MaputoMaputo
Maputo, also known as Lourenço Marques, is the capital and largest city of Mozambique. It is known as the City of Acacias in reference to acacia trees commonly found along its avenues and the Pearl of the Indian Ocean. It was famous for the inscription "This is Portugal" on the walkway of its...
has been an artists collective since the 1930s and despite the end of empire and a civil war it is still supporting artists as it did to Maputo painter Malangatana Ngwenya
Malangatana Ngwenya
Malangatana Valente Ngwenya was a Mozambican painter and poet. He frequently exhibited work under his first name alone. He died on January 5, 2011 in Matosinhos, Portugal.-Life:...
in the 1950s.
The symbolism of recycling decommissioned weapons from around the world is self evident. However there is an added meaning because chairs can be a symbol of authority in Africa. A nineteenth century example of a chief's chair from Ghana is shown for comparison.
The Throne of Weapons was sent on tour by the British Museum and has been exhibited in a large number of schools, shopping centres, museums, cathedrals, community spaces and a prison around the United Kingdom. It has travelled internationally but also toured Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England. It has been called the Museum's most "eloquent object" and it may have been shown in a wider variety of ways than any other artefact.
The sculpture was chosen to be featured in A History of the World in 100 Objects
A History of the World in 100 Objects
A History of the World in 100 Objects was a joint project of BBC Radio 4 and the British Museum, comprising a 100-part radio series written and presented by British Museum director Neil MacGregor...
, a series of radio programmes that started in 2010 as a collaboration between the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and the British Museum.