Salù Iwadi Studio's Zangbeto Table Bridges West African Tradition & Contemporary Design
Rooted in the traditions of the Beninese Ogu people, the functional piece draws inspiration from Zangbeto dance costumes.
Salù Iwadi Studio has unveiled a new side table named the “Zangbeto,” after the Beninese Zangbeto masquerade, a lively cultural performance ritual connecting the physical and spiritual realms. Through its latest furniture piece the studio aims to keep West African traditions alive through the lens of modern creativity.
Calling the piece both a “narrative vessel” and a “functional art” piece, the shape of the side table embodies the physical forms, energy and symbolsim of the Zangbeto. The ritual originating from the Ogu culture of Benin is led by spinning dancers that act as spriritual intermediaries, reflecting the cyclical nature of life in their bold movements.
Each piece is handcrafted in Lagos, Nigeria from Iroko Wood in ebonized and natural wood finishes. The conical shape of the voluminous raffa costumes is mirrored in the silhouette of the table and its wooden blades are arranged in a spiral to evoke the rotating movement of the dance. Between the wooden fins, the designer notes that books can be inserted so that the table doubles as a decorative shelf. On top of the table, carved ridges radiate from the center, giving the the table top a satisfying tactile component and symbolizing the pathways of energy that the Zangbeto dancers create during the performance.
In a statement shared with Hypebeast, the studio says the piece “challenges viewers and users to engage with cultural narratives in a tangible and interactive way” and shows the potential for design to be “a medium for storytelling, education, and cultural preservation.”
