Ethiopian Wood Chair / Bench

A bench built to carry weight, with a painted back that carries more.

This wooden chair or bench was made in Ethiopia, East Africa, in the late 19th or early 20th century. Seating of this kind is commonly low and sturdy, built with pegged joinery and strong posts. The seat is a plain, dark plank, worn smooth. Tall side posts rise at either end, and the legs flare outward at the foot. The backrest is the showpiece, painted in red, green, yellow and orange with swirling, interlaced shapes against dark wood.

About 31 inches tall and 36 wide. Seat two, impress many.