About: King's stool from the Bamileke tribe in Cameroon.
Each stool is carved from a single tree trunk and the Bamileke stool design is distinguished from other African styles by the round shape and crisscrossed carving pattern.
Most of the ones we've seen have a dark stain (which is sometimes achieved with shoe polish), which makes us love our unique white painted version even more!
They're often referred to as "king's stools" because the most intricate ones were used as seats for tribal chiefs. Depending on the size of the tree trunk, stools can be small or large. Please contact us if you need them at a unique dimension or in the traditional dark finish.
Most Bamileke stools are made in the grasslands region of Cameroon. Since they are each individually handmade, there will be a variation in size, shape and a slight difference in style. Some may have age cracks and material imperfections.
The culture from which they come is just as enticing as the stools themselves. The Bamileke tribes are a collection of ethnic groups in the western highlands of Cameroon, who divide themselves into over 100 individual groups, each under the rule of a chief.
The Bamileke did not consider themselves a single people until colonial times. Even today, individual Bamileke usually regard themselves as members of separate tribes.
They are renowned craftsmen and their artwork was highly praised by early European visitors to their lands. Bamileke are particularly celebrated as carvers of wood, ivory, and horn and chief's compounds are notable for their intricately carved doorframes and columns.
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