ASANTE (ASHANTI), CEREMONIAL STOOL NO. 31, 14x21", $450, Ghana
Stools indicate status, power and succession of chiefs and kings. Carved from single blocks, Asante (or Ashanti) stools traditionally have crescent-shaped seats, flat bases and complex support structures, which exist in many designs with symbolic meaning.
.This design, known as a Ahema Dwa, designates this as a queen mother's stool. It is similar to the porcupine stool of the Asantehene, and shows how close they are, both politically and socially.