Ethiopian Armchair with Plaited Leather Seat

Round feet like doorknobs, hewn slats, and a seat woven from strips of hide.

This armchair with plaited leather seat comes from Ethiopia, East Africa, early 20th century, in wood and leather. Hand-built chairs like this were part of Ethiopian household life, generally reserved for people of some standing, in a place where many sat lower to the ground. Three thick slats rise between tall, dark posts with an adze-marked surface. Flat wide arms rest on turned supports. The plaited seat is dark, open and looks worn through at the back edge. Thirty-four inches high.

No one has ever accused it of being fussy.