Elephant Ashanti Stool

Purchased yesterday this carved hardwood Ashanti stool in the form of an elephant c.1930. Ashanti stools are traditional to Ghana in West Africa, they are carved from a single piece of wood and have a distinctive crescent shaped seat. The name refers to the Ashanti or Asante people of the region to whom a golden stool is the sacred symbol of nationhood held in absolute secrecy and defended with considerable sacrifice since its miraculous creation over 300 years ago. The elephant represents the power of the king who traditionally would have been the only person allowed to commission such a stool.