Stool
Late 19th or early 20th century
Igbo Awka region, Nigeria Coastal West Africa
Nigeria
The Igbo people are known for their elaborate system of ranked titles for both men and women. Climbing within this hierarchy requires considerable investment of resources, social capital, and time. Titles come with responsibilities and restrictions but also with privileges that include the right to regalia and status objects such as this stool. Comprising two levels of interlocking supports carved from a single block of wood, this stool was acquired by an Irish missionary in Nigeria before 1911.
Wood, iron nails, and traces of pigment