Oromo 2-Seat Chair with Cowhide Seat

A leather seat, a tall board back, and legs that have faces.

Oromo makers of Ethiopia, East Africa, built this two-seat chair in wood and cowhide in the late 19th or early 20th century. Hide-seated wooden chairs and benches are commonly found across the Horn of Africa, built to be carried and reused. The seat is a taut leather tray, nailed along its edge, beneath a single upright back rail. Carved heads appear at the top of the stout legs. The wood is dark and worn, with rust-red color near the back.

About 31 inches tall and 30 wide. A rustic bench with a good deal of character.