Pop culture?s new favorite chair has one of the most mysterious histories From its production design to costumes and visual effects, Marvel?s Black Panther is one of the most rewarding movies for design buffs, but there was one object that kept lingering in my mind: the Wakandan throne.
Many of Black Panther?s visual references are proudly Pan-African and Afrofuturist. Hannah Beachler, the movie?s production designer, references the work of famous modern architects who created buildings on the continent?like Zaha Hadid?as well as local architects who?ve developed their own distinct styles.
But the throne" It has a more mysterious origin story?one with a cast of characters that includes a prisoner in the Philippines, a midcentury importer, and radical black activists. An early promo poster for Marvel?s Black Panther shows T?Challa seated on a throne with a tall, rounded back. He firmly grips the armrests, plants both his feet on the ground, and expresses his power with an authoritative direct-to-camera gaze.
For many, myself included, the image bore an uncanny resemblance to a 1960s poster of Black Panther party founder Huey P. Newton seated in a rattan peacock chair, clutching a spear in one fist and rifle in the other. This symbol of black power?and royalty?has been repeated, remixed, and riffed-on for years. And it revolves around one prop: the rattan peacock chair.
The peacock chair is one of those designerless designs that occupies a fascinating place in v...