Bamileke Stool with Water Buffalo Motif

A herd of water buffalo, stacked horn over muzzle.

This stool with a water buffalo motif is Bamileke, from Cameroon, and dates to the 20th century. It is wood. Among the Bamileke, carved stools have long been tied to rank and authority, and the buffalo is widely read as an image of strength and chiefly power. Rows of horned heads interlock in a lattice around the open drum, each with round eyes and a broad muzzle. A dark surface covers everything, between a heavy base ring and a slightly dished seat. Twenty-one inches high and 22 in diameter.

Sit carefully. You are outnumbered.