Stool

Everyday stool for a man. Kept inclined when not in use. Obtained by Frederick Marshall between 1892 and 1894 in Accra.

Fiona Savage:
Stool, Akan. Materials: Esese (sp. Funtumia). Coll: Marshall
This is a good example of a type of carved wooden stool, known in Twi as nkomma dwa that is made and used by the Akan peoples of the Gold Coast (modern-day Ghana and part of the Ivory Coast). Stools are carved from a single block of esese wood and have hollow central columns that are decorated with a variety of abstract and figurative designs that are connected to proverbs. Some stool designs were restricted to the Asantehene (paramount chief of Asante) and to senior members of the royal family and could not be sold on the open market prior to 1900. Stool designs were also gendered with different patterns deemed appropriate for use by men and women. I have been unable to trace this stool design and it does not appear in Rattray’s list, which although not definitive, is a reliable reference source on the subject (1927, 272-4). Given this, and the fact that there is no sign of wear on the seat or on the base, it is likely that this stool was carved for the market.