Senufo Stool/Side Table

Black as a stove, with legs as thick as a wrestler's.

This stool or side table is Senufo, from Ivory Coast, and dates to the 20th century. It is wood. Among the Senufo, carved stools have long served as everyday seats in household and village life, and have also signaled a person's standing. A wide, shallow top sits on a tapering, faceted underside, with tool marks across the surface. Heavy round legs drop straight to the floor, and fine lines run down their length. The whole piece is a deep, even black. It stands 25.5 inches high.

Three legs have never needed a level floor.