Ashanti Figural Stool Depicting Bird on Tortoise

A bird with a spotted breast sits beneath the seat, stacked on a tortoise-like shape

This figural stool depicting bird on tortoise is Ashanti, from Ghana, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is carved & painted wood. The Ashanti kingdom was founded in 1701, and by legend a golden stool descended from heaven to symbolize the soul of the people, a sacred object protected ever since. A pale stool with a broad curved seat resting on a ribbed, wing-shaped form with a bird head and a dotted chest. A rounded shell-like piece sits beneath on a black-edged board. The finish is light and smooth. It is 10 inches long, 21 deep and 17 high.

A towering stack of animals, with one flat seat to finish.