Stool
Asante
Description
Subject Matter:
Stools are one of the most important types of objects in Asante culture, from the Golden Stool that holds the spirit of the Asante nation to personal stools used everyday. Called dwa in Twi, the language spoken by Asante peoples in Ghana, stools are closely linked to the personality and spirit of their owners. 'White stools', used by everday men and women, were typically smaller than stools used by chiefs. Those that belonged to important leaders or community members were preserved as blackened ancestral stools. When not in use, stools are kept on their side to prevent harmful spirits from entering them.
References Cited:
MacLeod, Malcolm D. 1981. The Asante. London: British Museum Publications Ltd.
Physical Description:
Wooden stool with a rectangular base and a central column supporting a rectangular seat that curves upward at each end. The central column is decorated with open-work designs of triangles and a checkerboard pattern. Surrounding the column are four rectangular posts decorated with triangular projections along the outer edges.
Usage Rights:
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