Beaded Royal Stool Supported By Two Figures - Tribal Art
This exquisite stool has a round base and plateau which is covered with cloth embroidered with red, white and blue glass beads. Delicate cowrie shells adorn both the top rim of the stool and the center of the base. Two expertly crafted servant figures in an embrace support the seat. Both figures have a distinct appearance and are stunningly decorated with red, white and blue beads of varying sizes. These beaded stools were the prerogative of the Royal family and the notables. They were used during meetings of the secret societies and royal councils.
Dimensions approx. 40 x 27 x 26 cm
Beaded art from the Cameroon Grasslands collected between 1985 and 2005. Rulers throughout the many Kingdoms in the Cameroon Grassland region (Bamileke –Bamum -Tikar) employed a range of Regalia to assert their political, economic and religious power. Presented publicly in lavish displays of wealth and power, many court objects were distinguished by their elaborate bead embroidery. Imported from Venice, Bohemia or Amsterdam, glass beads were considered a luxury material whose use and distribution were controlled by the King. The decoration of objects with vast quantities of brilliantly colored beads transformed utilitarian objects into symbols of royal status and prestige.
All lots are in the state the collector acquire them. No restorations or cleaning has been performed.
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