Vintage African stool with detailed carving from the Ashanti people of Ghana. Collected and brought back to the UK in the 40's but may be older. In excellent condition. Would make a great addition to any collectors collection of African art or to be used as a very unique, functional stool.
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An indicator of status and family, stools play an integral role in traditional Ashanti culture. Believed to be the resting place for a person's soul, a stool is given to a child when they first learn to crawl and used in personal milestones throughout the rest of their life.
Carved from a solid block of wood, each stool has a rectangular base and a distinctive curved seat supported by a central column and four corner posts. While some ceremonial stools are carved to convey particular proverbs, this stool is simply decorated with scalloped edges and geometric patterns. The combination of shapes and curved lines makes this Ashanti stool a uniquely sculptural object.