History

• The earliest African seating devices date back to 9th century AD. Through radiocarbon dating, archeologists determined that these stools originated from the Igbo-Ukwa region in West Africa, especially in the regions of Nigeria.
  
  

European Influence

• When the Portuguese arrived in Africa in the 15th century transatlantic slave trade, they introduced the "elbow chair," a seating device no longer than one to two feet. Africans soon began associating such chairs with power and prestige, and they adopted this chair into their culture.
  
  

Regions Commonly Found:

• African stools are most common in West Africa, particularly in Nigeria and Ghana--countries that had heavy contact with the Portuguese. However, they can also be found in neighboring Sub-Sahara countries, such as Burkina Faso, Cameron, Mali, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, Ivory Coast, Congo, and Togo. The African tribes who use African stools the most are the Igbos of Nigeria, the Asantes of Ghana, the Yorubas of Nigeria, the Tabwas of Congo, as well as many other tribes.
  
  

Social Purpose

• African stools are a symbol of social clout, and owners proudly display their stools for others to see. As a result, it is inappropriate for one to sit in another's stool. In some tribes, chairs are for chiefs and in other others, they represent political power.
  
  

Spiritual Purpose

• For other tribes, however, stools serve a spiritual and personal purpose. One tribe in particular, the Akan of Ghana, sees the stool as the center of the soul. For the Akan, if a person who is not the rightful owner sits in the chair, they have contaminated the soul of the owner.