stool (furniture)

Wooden stool with three legs. The upper surface is decorated in a design of concentric circles composed of copper and iron nails. An iron carrying chain in a double loop is attached to two of the legs by leather loops.

Kamba stool from eastern Kenya, used predominantly by elders. The incised decoration on the top of the seat it thought to contain coded information relating to the owner. For example, this piece depicts concentric rings which may refer to the number of wives of the owner, and the circles in the centre may relate to the number of homesteads. Such stools are owned and used by a single individual throughout their lives. The chain attached to the seat of the stool would have been used for carrying or hanging it.

object
MUSEUM NUMBER
1976.260
PLACE
COLLECTION
MEASUREMENTS
overall: 95 mm x 222 mm
MATERIAL/TECHNIQUE
wood; iron
CATEGORY
Anthropology: Ethnography
LOCATION
SHAREABLE LINK

Continue exploring anthropology

Collection Information

These objects are only a part of our collections, of which there are more than 350,000 objects. This information comes from our collections database. Some of this is incomplete and there may be errors. This part of the website is also still under construction, so there may be some fields repeated or incorrectly formatted information.

The database retains language taken from historical documents to help research. Please note that some records may feature language and reflect systems of thinking that are outdated and offensive. The database also includes information on objects that are considered secret or sacred by some communities.

If you have any further information about objects in our collections, can suggest corrections to our information or if you see content requiring immediate action, please contact us: enquiry@horniman.ac.uk