H x W x D: 26.4 x 50.8 x 36.8 cm (10 3/8 x 20 x 14 1/2 in.)
Type:
Decorative Arts
Geography:
Benin
Date:
Late 19th-early 20th century
Label Text:
Throughout Africa, stools are carved for a variety of purposes. Some are items of regalia or emblems of leadership, others are highly personal objects closesly identified with the owner. This example was probably owned by a Fon court official. It has an incised design on the seat that shows the influence of the Islamic peoples in the northern part of the country. The pattern relates to the designs on leatherwork, metal amulet cases and embroidery.
Description:
Wood three legged stool with incised square decoration on the round seat.
Provenance:
Michael Graham-Stewart, London, -- to 1989
Exhibition History:
Art of the Personal Object, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., September 24, 1991-April 9, 2007
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