Asante Stools
The seats reserved for high-ranking notables are to this day a symbol of dignity and power. They are the main regalia of the Asante regents. Their role varies depending on whether they are a simple commodity or as a symbol of the entire state. There is a very special intimacy between the owner and the seat: the Asante wisdom says that there are no secrets between them. The seats are kept as memorabilia by the bereaved until no one can remember the previous owners.
Asante stool, "mmaa gwa" Ghana. Wood, cowrie shells, kaolin pigment. H 30 cm. W 47.5 cm. From the estate of Dr. Andreas Vontobel (1931-2011), Waltalingen. Galerie Walu, Zurich (1986).
Asante “Mmaa dwa” or Woman’s stool. Collected in Kumasi, Ghana. “For the Asante, stools are integral components of social and political life. They are vital identity markers and sacred mediums for honoring and communicating with ancestors.” A stool was thought to contain the soul of its owner and, when not being used, it was put on its side to stop evil spirits sitting on it. Stools were carved from a single piece of wood and different design elements identified the type of stool. This stool is known as “Mmaa dwa” or woman’s stool. “In addition to the hierarchical symbolism found on various Asante regalia that relates to identification, the structure of the stool itself is very architectural; particularly the mmaa dwa which Nana Frempong Boadu, Otumfuo Chief Carver, described as one of the oldest designs in existence. Its cylindrical central support with a "checkerboard" pattern and four support pillars on each corner have striking parallels with conventional buildings; especially, the sleeping quarters of the Asantehene sketched by Bowdich. Firstly, the same "checkerboard" motifcarved into the columnar mmaa dwa support appears on the ovular entranceway to the king's chamber and images of other parts of the palace complex, taken at different points during the nineteenth century, reveal that the same design was used on almost all doors that led into private spaces. Secondly, every conventional Asante stool includes a series of "steps," called etuo abo, on the left and right-hand sides of the base that ascend toward the raised platform where the central support is located. These steps have no functional value, yet appear in the same place and in the same style on all asese dwa.” Source. Catherine Meredith Hale, Asante Stools and the Matrilineage
