Oromo Chair with Cowhide Seat & Back

Tall in the back, patient in the seat, and thoroughly weathered.

This wood and cowhide chair was made by the Oromo of Ethiopia, East Africa, in the late 19th or early 20th century. Chairs of this build, with hide stretched over a branch frame, are often associated with household seating in the highlands. The hide is dark amber with lighter creases down the back, which curves inward slightly. Two short wooden horns rise from the top rail. The legs are straight, slim and darker than the seat.

About 40 inches tall. It stands like a very old relative, upright and unimpressed.