Tripod Chair

Based on the natural branching of a tree, this strikingly simple tripod chair seamlessly unites form with function. A horizontal plank placed across inverted limbs creates the chair’s seat. In Nigeria’s Benue River Valley, chairs are considered personal possessions and indicators of social rank. This chair was probably made to furnish a family’s reception room, where adults would eat, lounge, and receive guests. The smooth, glossy surface suggests regular use; it may have served as the favored seat of an elder, who sat upon it to rest and offer counsel.