Skip to product information
1 of 7

Vintage West African Ashanti Sankofa Bird Wood Stool

Regular price $528.00 USD
Regular price Sale price $528.00 USD

Vintage West African Ashanti curved wood stool with carved wood sankofa bird design and beautiful ridged detailing on sides. 
"Although other African nations consider the stool an important spiritual object and symbol of leadership, few attribute it with such sacred significance and aesthetic devotion as the Ashanti. Not only are they functional objects, but also integral to Ashanti spiritual and religious customs. The Ashanti believed a person's soul inhabited his or her stool. When the stools were not in use, they were tilted onto their sides so that other spirits – especially evil ones – could not take up residence. From birth to death, stools mark important life events: one of the earliest gifts an Ashanti boy receives from his father is a stool; when an Ashanti girl reaches puberty she is presented with a stool; men gift stools to their brides-to-be as engagement promises; and when a person dies, his or her stool is placed in a shrine and becomes an object of ancestor veneration. Carvers were bestowed a great honor when they were commissioned to craft stools for chiefs, priests and other high-ranking members of Ashanti society. Not only does the carving of a stool require exceptional skill and imagination, but also an understanding of the Ashanti moral codes and their unique visual language."

  • 15" x 8" x 7"
  • Base: 6.25" x 6.25"
  • *there is a split in wood on one of the base's corners. still attached but needs to be handled with care. *as seen in photos