Unusual Two-Tiered Nupe Stool

The Nupe people live in the central belt of Nigeria. They are predominantly Muslim with a Christian minority and a shrinking population adhering to traditional religious beliefs. Their territory borders on that of the Ìgbómìnà Yoruba. Nupe arts and crafts include weaving, carving and pottery. Among families of craftsmen and women, Nupe traditions evolved over centuries to become distinctive from those of neighboring peoples. The unifying themes of Nupe design are a strong sense of geometry, rhythmic linear detail and, where color is employed, vibrancy and contrast. This stool is atypical in form, as the great majority of Nupe stools — at least those collected and exported to the West — are either disk-seated stools with multiple legs or rectilinear topped ones with buttressed legs; the seats of these stools are generally carved with elaborate, symmetrical, geometric designs. This stool, with its circular seat midlevel and foot, is something altogether different. Its top is not incised. What makes it identifiable as Nupe is its distinctive use of red, green, black and yellow commercial paint. Despite the masterful carving and significant extractive carving, the stool remains remarkably heavy, having been carved from a supremely dense, warm-toned tree. Beneath a layer of fine, airborne silt, the date 1971 can be made out in paint. It is unknown if this represents the year of manufacture or decoration (or both). This is an exceptionally beautiful and rare stool with great color that would hold its own whether used as a piece of floor furniture or side-board presented sculpture.

12″

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