{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1529429"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1529429/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2021MY5242/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2021MY5242/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2021MY5242","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2021MY5243","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2021MY5244","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1529429","accessionNumber":"W.4-2020","objectType":"Chair","titles":[{"title":"Akuaba","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"Huren Marsh is a designer, curator and educator who was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1951 and moved to the UK in 1967. After a successful career as a telecommunication engineer, Marsh enrolled in A Level art evening classes and joined the Open  University course ‘The History of Art and Design  1890 -1932’.  These studies enabled him to apply for foundation studies at  Middlesex Polytechnic, he took a foundation course at Middlesex Polytechnic followed by a BA in furniture and product design at Kingston Polytechnic in Greater London. In opposition to the general trend for Memphis and Post-Modern design of the time, Marsh instead took inspiration from African objects on display in the Museum of Mankind (now part of the British Museum) and the publication African Sculpture Speaks by Ladislas Segy (1952). \n\nThe Akuaba dining chair was designed while Marsh studied at Kingston Polytechnic. Its form is inspired by the Ghanaian fertility doll Akuaba, hence its name. Akuaba dolls are characterised by their large, disk-like heads, abstracted horizontal arms and cylindrical torso - features which are evident in the form of Marsh’s chair. Other influences on  Marsh at this time were French Art Deco furniture designers such as Pierre Legrain, Emile Jacques Ruhlmann and Jean Dunand. \n\r\nThe chair is made from beechwood with rosewood inserts on the splat and joined by tenons and mortises. This choice of materials was influenced by the strong tradition for wood-based furniture at Kingston. All finished products, models and prototypes were generally made by the students with the aid of the workshop technicians.  However, the Akuaba chair was contracted out to a furniture maker because it required specialist skills  that were beyond the capabilities of Marsh and the college technicians.\n \r\nSince retiring Marsh has continued to work on exhibition and publishing projects, especially those highlighting underrepresented practitioners in design and architecture. In 2021 he helped establish the Ikenga Institute which aims to support those entering the design and creative professions from the African diaspora.\r\n","physicalDescription":"","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Huren Marsh","id":"AUTH356397"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"beech wood","id":"x30453"},{"text":"rosewood","id":"AAT12424"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Beech wood and rosewood ","categories":[{"text":"Furniture","id":"THES48948"},{"text":"Interiors","id":"THES48933"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"FWK","id":"THES48597"},"images":["2021MY5242","2021MY5243","2021MY5244"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"74","id":"THES49720"},"free":"","case":"8","shelf":"FLOOR","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"chair","id":"AAT37772"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"designed and made","id":"x39722"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1985","earliest":"1985-01-01","latest":"1985-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"E.1-2021","id":"O1548823"},"association":""},{"object":{"text":"E.2-2021","id":"O1548824"},"association":""},{"object":{"text":"E.3-2021","id":"O1548825"},"association":""}],"creditLine":"Given by Huren Marsh ","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"96","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"41,5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"47","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Akuaba chair, designed by Huren Marsh,  London, United Kingdom, 1985, beechwood and rosewood veneer. ","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"A chair bridging cultural traditions\n\nThe face-like shape of this chair’s backrest is inspired by the Ghanian fertility doll Akuaba, while the seat and legs nod to early 20th century European design. Jamaican-born Huren Marsh designed the chair while studying furniture and product design in London. Influenced by African artefacts he saw in the city’s museums, Marsh wanted to create furniture that went beyond the contemporary European style he was being taught at university.\n\nWooden chair \n1985\nDesigned by and made for Huren Marsh \nSycamore, beech plywood and rosewood veneer inlay \nGiven by Huren Marsh \nMuseum no. W.4-2020\n\nThe object sits in the 'Crisis and Conflict' section of the Design 1900-Now gallery opened in June 2021.\r\n","date":{"text":"2021","earliest":"2021-01-01","latest":"2021-12-31"}}],"partNumbers":["W.4-2020"],"accessionNumberNum":"4","accessionNumberPrefix":"W","accessionYear":2020,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2025PG3406","2025PG0888"],"recordModificationDate":"2026-03-03","recordCreationDate":"2020-02-06","availableToBook":false}}