A unique museum piece with historical and political value especially for the latest BLM movement. This artwork by Sol Garson is a sculptural stained hand-carved wood chair, representing a prisoner and the struggles of Nelson Mandela as well as black people during during the apartheid.

Inspired by the struggles of Nelson Mandela, the chair is masterfully sculpted withe intentionally chiselled effect surface and lacquered with a smooth patina touch, a caged back and base, in which lies a spherical sculpted ball with three faces. The round seat is upholstered with an embossed faux leather. It is signed at the bottom "Sol Garson 74”. The chair, despite its artistic leanings, is also very comfortable and stable.

Born 1923, Garson was a glassworker for much of his life based in Manchester. One of his most famous works is the wooden sculpture of Nelson Mandela, which was placed in Manchester Town Hall’s main entrance area in 1986, to be later given to Nelson Mandela himself where it still resides today in Mandela's estate.

Sol Garson also produced a memorial to the International Brigades at the Working Class Movement Library in Salford and was a regular contributor to the 1970s creative writing journal, `Voices’. He also produced several other wood carved sculptures with some of them in private or museum collections but none other known of the same size as "The Prisoner".

Sol Garson passed away in 1994 leaving behind him big amount of artworks and essays.

Although the subject might put off some as grotesque we find it very interesting piece to have around and even use as an everyday piece.

CREATOR: Sol Garson

PLACE OF ORIGIN: UK

DATE OF MANUFACTURE: 1974

PERIOD: 1970s

MATERIALS & TECHNIQUES: Wood, Leatherette

CONDITION: Very good original condition

WEAR: Wear consistent with age and use.

HEIGHT: 71cm | 28in

DIAMETER: 40cm | in

SEAT HEIGHT: 43cm | in

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