Cameroonian Wood Stool

A fine lattice, glossy as a conker, with a slim waist.

Carved in wood in Cameroon, Central Africa, in the 20th century, this stool belongs to a tradition in which carved seats are commonly linked with rank. The seat is a thick disc with a faint split. The body is an open, tightly woven net of diagonal bars that narrows slightly at the middle, and the base flares into a rounded ring. The wood is reddish brown with a deep sheen and the soft look of a surface polished by hands.

About 14 inches high and 12 wide. Warm brown, tidy and made for company.