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Central
and southern Ghana is home to many Asante people; they make up part of
the Akan group, along with the Fante and the Baule. All Asante towns have an asantehene, or Asante king. Stools are an important part of the
Akan world and they often show the status of whom they belong to. The stools are very similar in their
formal characteristics, but the individual details are what make each person’s
stool their own. The stools all
are made of wood and have a rectangular base, the seat is also in the
rectangular shape, but the ends curve up to allow a person to be seated. The stool of the asantehene is
covered in gold leaf, which is a reference to The Golden Stool, which is
believed to be alive and has been passed down through generations never having
been sat on or blackened. Its importance
is displayed by it having a stool of its own, which it is placed on next to the
asantehene.
Stools not only symbolize leadership, they are part of a person’s identity. Although not as elaborate as the asantehene’s, all Asante men and women have stools of their own. The stools are known to contain the power of the owner. When the owner of the stool passes away, it is believed their soul is then transferred into their stool. After being blackened, the stools are then stored in a stool room. These rooms are very sacred and are limited to an elite group of people.
There were certain designs of stools that were made only for specific people in the Asante society, they were not sold to others outside these ranks, and a person who obtained one of these stools was punishable by death. Many of these restricted stool details included animals because they are seen as a symbol of power and strength. Some of the animals seen in stools include, elephants, crocodiles, and leopards, which were “creatures being used to express the King’s greatness and fierce nature.”[1] Leopards are seen as powerful animals around the world; the Asante see them as a symbol of royal power, while they are also known for their hunting skills. “They are said to be the only cats that kill for the sake of the hunt, and not just to satisfy hunger….thus, is a symbol of the liminality and potential dangers of power.”[2]
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[1] M.D. McLeod, The Asante, (London: British Museum Publications Ltd, 1981), 114.
[2] Hope Werness, The Continuum Encyclopedia of Animal Symbolism in Art, (New York: The Continuum International Publishing Group Inc, 2003), 252-254.
Image source: Ghana; Asante, Leopard Stool (Osebo Dwa), early 20th century, wood, 22x22x12 in. (55.88x55.88x30.48 cm). Gift of the African American Art Alliance, (Photo by Larry Sanders)
Stools not only symbolize leadership, they are part of a person’s identity. Although not as elaborate as the asantehene’s, all Asante men and women have stools of their own. The stools are known to contain the power of the owner. When the owner of the stool passes away, it is believed their soul is then transferred into their stool. After being blackened, the stools are then stored in a stool room. These rooms are very sacred and are limited to an elite group of people.
There were certain designs of stools that were made only for specific people in the Asante society, they were not sold to others outside these ranks, and a person who obtained one of these stools was punishable by death. Many of these restricted stool details included animals because they are seen as a symbol of power and strength. Some of the animals seen in stools include, elephants, crocodiles, and leopards, which were “creatures being used to express the King’s greatness and fierce nature.”[1] Leopards are seen as powerful animals around the world; the Asante see them as a symbol of royal power, while they are also known for their hunting skills. “They are said to be the only cats that kill for the sake of the hunt, and not just to satisfy hunger….thus, is a symbol of the liminality and potential dangers of power.”[2]
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[1] M.D. McLeod, The Asante, (London: British Museum Publications Ltd, 1981), 114.
[2] Hope Werness, The Continuum Encyclopedia of Animal Symbolism in Art, (New York: The Continuum International Publishing Group Inc, 2003), 252-254.
Image source: Ghana; Asante, Leopard Stool (Osebo Dwa), early 20th century, wood, 22x22x12 in. (55.88x55.88x30.48 cm). Gift of the African American Art Alliance, (Photo by Larry Sanders)