Ashanti people
GhanaPrestige Stool, n.d.
On view
Wood
Dimensions15 3/4 × 23 1/2 × 13 in. (40 × 59.7 × 33 cm)
Museum purchase with funds from the Collection Endowment, 2018.61
Carved from a single piece of wood, stools such as this one were created for the ceremonial and daily lives of the Ashanti people in Ghana. During rituals and ceremonies stools are carried in processions, proclaiming the succession of kings and their deeds. Children are given stools by their father to mark their rite of passage to adult status. When first wed, husbands present a stool to their new wives. The design of each stool is unique and contains a segment of the owner’s spiritual being. The lion, in this case, indicates power and authority.
