African Luba Caryatid Stool

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, geometric patterns, and a small cross. The combination of shapes and curved lines makes this Ashanti stool...

Artisans from the Luba tribe were renowned for the organic flow of their carving style. This example clearly shows the smooth transition from aspect to aspect, maintaining a singular...

Receiving guidance from tribal ancestors was a central aspect of the Luba people's spiritual practices. This ceramic spiritually significant vessel is topped with a crossed leg figure whose head has an opening critical for a divination ritual. Known as an mboko, this handled vessel would have been filled with items like antelope horns, shells, dried beetles, human teeth...

Stools indicated power, status, and lines of succession in traditional Ashanti culture. The tiered platform, curved seat, and ridged supports on this object reference the Ashanti Kin...

Marked by the telltale Bamileke rounded disc seat and base, this stool features a group of pondering human figures as its vertical supports instead of the more common abstract carvin...

The Luba people of Zaire believed that ancestors visited them through dreams. This belief led to elaborately worked headrests, known as "seats of dreams." Such headrests were used to...

Ashanti tribal stool from Ghana.

A hand-carved wooden stool from Tanzania with a native repair made from hand-hammered brass. This piece is very cool with a tribal vibe.

Beautiful museum quality African stool hand carved from a single block of wood. Lovely patina and markings through out celebrating time and loving use. This almost feels like leather...

Lovely patina on this beautiful African stool hand carved from a single piece of wood. Great for placing a book or perhaps towels in a bathroom, magazines etc. This stool was sour...

From Cameroon these single piece of wood carved stools make wonderful side tables as well....

  Antique large wooden "Luba" stool with a very attractive dark ritual patina.  The body of the stool is carved as an asexual woman, with smooth facial features characterised by larg...