The Niger Bend

Size: 15.25 x 11.75 (38.125 x 29.375 cm) This wooden stool, carved from a single piece of wood in Mali, stands out from the rest of the stools we have for sale by its unique 2-sided design: 2 flat panels dropping out of the flat round top. Each panel has a figure carved in relief, a male on one side, a female on the other. The round top resting on the panels is painted on the top with a black, white, yellow and red cross design with a black 4-point star in the middle. One side of the panels has a long handle coming out of the round top, painted with black, red, yellow parallel stripe accents. Although both figures represent Bamana people it is the style of the female which, by virtue of its hairstyle, is more recognizably Bamana. Although this stool shows some signs of having been used we do not estimate its age to be very old. Its design is unusual, not common in stools only made for people to buy.