Which factor makes the Cameroon Chief's Stool an example of abstract art?

• A. The proportions of the figures are exaggerated.
• B. Its material is non-traditional.
• C. The figures depict a narrative scene.
• D. The sculpture includes lifelike realism.

Answer: (A)

Abstract art expresses meaning through form, line, and shape rather than exact, lifelike depiction. In the Cameroon Chief's Stool, the figures are carved with exaggerated proportions and simplified, stylized forms. This distortion moves the work away from realistic representation and toward a symbolic, decorative sculpture that communicates status and ritual purpose through its shape and arrangement. The material—wood—is traditional for this object, so it isn’t the factor that makes it abstract. It also isn’t about presenting a lifelike scene; rather, the emphasis is on stylized form that reads as abstraction. The exaggerated proportions are the clear marker that this piece belongs to abstract expression through sculptural form.