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Source 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.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
110820
label
Stool
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
110820
contentType
object
title
Stool
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.
date
before 1929
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q80002936
genreSpecific
Furniture and woodwork
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Diameter: 26.8 cm (10 9/16 in.); Overall: 27 cm (10 5/8 in.)
cul
Central Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nyanga, early 20th Century
accession
1929.345
Source extras
tec
wood
tombstone
Stool, 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
collection
African Art
didYouKnow
This stool isn't asymmetrical, it's ergonomic! The seat tilts to make it more comfortable to use.
creditline
Gift of the African Art Sponsors of Karamu House
updatedAt
2026-05-29 05:52:41.780000
sourceId
110820
dept
African Art
coll
African Art
med
wood
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
b8c5e6cdc6d9d8d0