Throughout Africa the stool is considered a
very personal & important piece of furniture,
which serves as a symbol of its owner's rank.
The wealthiest & most powerful members of
a society own the most opulent & beautifully
carved or beaded stools.
In Benin, it is said "
In the old days, a man was judged and respected according to the kind of stool he had;
now it's by his car."
The Bamileke people of
the Cameroon are known for their skill as
wood carvers & for their distinctive round
stools carved from a single piece of wood.
In the past, Cameroon seats, in particular, only a ruler could sit on a seat depicting an animal.
The stool is carved from one piece of wood.
The leopard symbolically related the ruler's personal character to the authority, strength
and ferocity of the leopard.
H: 16 3/4” x Diam: 15 1/4”
