Baga Stool | Bench | Table

Long, low and dark, built for sitting and for putting things down.

Baga makers of Guinea, West Africa, carved this bench in wood in the 20th century. Low seats and platforms like it are commonly found in West African households, used for resting, for visitors, and sometimes as small tables. A single broad plank forms the top, its edges slightly rounded, and it rests on thick tapering legs that flare toward the base. The surface is a deep, even brown with the soft sheen that comes from long handling.

About 13 inches high and 42 inches long. A coffee table with a better pedigree and fewer opinions.