Ashanti Wood Stool, Ghana

Simple stool with a ribbed drum between two columns, bead-edged on the left

This stool is Ashanti, from Ghana, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is wood. The Ashanti traditionally believed a person's soul inhabited his or her stool, so stools not in use were tilted on their sides to keep other spirits from taking up residence. A stool with a gently curved seat, two thick columns and a central cylindrical drum with rows of narrow slots. Small studs run along one side. The medium brown surface is smooth and sits on a wide rectangular base. It is 21 inches long, 11 deep and 14 high.

Plain, balanced and uncluttered, with a little hardware on one side.