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Hand Carved Nupe Stool with 8 Legs, Nigeria, 1950s

About the Item

A hand-carved wooden "Nupe stool", made by the Nupe People, a tribe who lives by the Niger River in Nigeria. This kind of 8-legged stool was used during important meetings or market days. A Nupe stool is carved out of one piece of wood. It has a unique design. Please look at the detailed photos showing that one of the 8 legs is shorter, probably caused by some kind of a damage long time ago. The numbers are the inventory numbers from Penn State University and Lehigh University. Exhibited: The Pennsylvania State University - Museum of Art permanent collection; The Lehigh University - Art Galleries permanent collection. Provenance: The collection of Dr and Mrs John E. Swanson. Dr John Swanson and his wife Marian lived from 1966 - 1981 in Lagos, Nigeria where Dr Swanson was the Advisor to the National Universities Commission and later on the Chief Planning Officer of the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. During their time in Africa the Swansons started to collect African art. In 1973 a part of their collection, circa 120 pieces went on loan to The Pennsylvania State University Museum of Art, where the remained until 1978. In 1981 Dr Swanson passed away and his wife Marian never returned to Africa. In 1982 Mrs Swanson lent 130 pieces to the Lehigh University Art Gallery where they remained until 1987. A few pieces were also lent to Lafayette College - Williams Art Center for an exhibition titled "Plainly Geometric - Selections of Art from West Africa". In 2018 Mrs Swanson passed away.
  • Creator:
    Nupe (Maker)
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 7.88 in (20 cm)Width: 10.83 in (27.5 cm)Depth: 10.24 in (26 cm)Seat Height: 7.88 in (20 cm)
  • Style:
    Tribal (Of the Period)
  • Materials and Techniques:
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    circa 1950s
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses. Minor fading. Even though one leg is shorter, the stool has no structural damage because of the quantities of legs. The stool is as sturdy as with 8 legs in full length.
  • Seller Location:
    Aramits, FR
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU6432238712652
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