The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of December 20, 2025
Stool
before 1929
Diameter: 26.8 cm (10 9/16 in.); Overall: 27 cm (10 5/8 in.)
Location: Not on view
Did You Know?
This stool isn't asymmetrical, it's ergonomic! The seat tilts to make it more comfortable to use.Description
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.- 1928Acquired by Paul Travis on behalf of the African Art Sponsors and the Gilpin Players in Democratic Republic of the Congo (then-Belgian Congo), possibly Ekibondo1928The African Art Sponsors of Karamu House1929—The Cleveland Museum of Art by giftProvenance Footnotes1 It may appear on a checklist of "African Material" circa 1928 as one of "3 carved stools used by Ekibondis wives. Mangbettu, Ekibondis Village" Archives of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.
- {{cite web|title=Stool|url=false|author=|year=before 1929|access-date=20 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1929.345