This three-legged stool comes from the Lobi people of Burkina Faso, where stools are more than functional objects, they are deeply tied to ideas of identity, authority, and continuity. Carved from a single block of wood, this stool’s tripod form gives it stability while maintaining a raw, organic quality. The surfaces bear the marks of age and use, reflecting their presence in daily life.
 
Among the Lobi, stools like this are highly personal objects. A stool often belonged to an individual and was closely associated with their status and role within the household or community. To sit on one’s own stool was to affirm one’s place, while lending or gifting a stool could mark relationships of trust and respect. Stools were also passed down through generations, carrying the memory of their former owners.
 
While modest in appearance, the Lobi stool embodies the Lobi philosophy that functional objects hold spiritual and social meaning. Its simplicity highlights the sculptural sensibility of Lobi carving, where form, material, and purpose merge seamlessly.