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Stool
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
Carved from a single piece of wood, Nyanga stools like this were multipurpose and took on different meanings depending on their use. Shaped like a curved hourglass, the shiny, patinated surface is textured with incised geometric designs. One use was for young male initiates to sit on as they received gifts from relatives following circumcision rites. The stools were oiled for the occasion, which results in the smooth, colored texture visible today.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineStool, before 1929. Central Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nyanga, early 20th Century. Wood; diameter: 26.8 cm (10 9/16 in.); overall: 27 cm (10 5/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of the African Art Sponsors of Karamu House, 1929.345
