Ethiopian Abba Jifar Pedestal Table

A single foot holds up this much table, and seems to find it no trouble.

The Abba Jifar pedestal table comes from Ethiopia in East Africa and dates to the late 19th or early 20th century, in wood. Low round tables suit the Ethiopian custom of gathering around a shared dish at mealtimes. The name recalls Abba Jifar II, ruler of the kingdom of Jimma, though the record does not tie this table to him. The broad top is an irregular round with a shallow raised rim, its grain swirling in dark brown rings. Below, a thick flared column ends in a flat, lobed foot. Fifty-one inches across and 20 high.

No two people will agree on where the head of the table is.