35 Items in this Learning Collection
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Copyright
All Rights Reserved ()

Stool

Accession Number
1997/1.356

Title
Stool

Artist(s)
Asante

Artist Nationality
Asante

Object Creation Date
20th century

Medium & Support
wood

Dimensions
10 15/16 in x 20 1/2 in x 9 13/16 in (27.8 cm x 52 cm x 24.9 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Dr. James and Vivian Curtis

Subject matter
Stools are one of the most important types of objects in Asante culture, from the Golden Stool that holds the spirit of the Asante nation to personal stools used everyday. Called dwa in Twi, the language spoken by Asante peoples in Ghana, stools are closely linked to the personality and spirit of their owners. 'White stools', used by everday men and women, were typically smaller than stools used by chiefs. Those that belonged to important leaders or community members were preserved as blackened ancestral stools. When not in use, stools are kept on their side to prevent harmful spirits from entering them.

References Cited:
MacLeod, Malcolm D. 1981. The Asante. London: British Museum Publications Ltd. 

Physical Description
Wooden stool with a rectangular base and a central column supporting a rectangular seat that curves upward at each end. The central column is decorated with open-work designs of triangles and a checkerboard pattern. Surrounding the column are four rectangular posts decorated with triangular projections along the outer edges. 

Primary Object Classification
Furniture and Furniture Accessories

Primary Object Type
stool

Collection Area
African

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form. Keywords
Furniture
household accessories
regalia
royalty
seating furniture
seats
symbols of office or status

& Author Notes

Web Use Permitted