Lot 190

Mid-20th C. Senufo Carved Wood Stool

Previous image preload Next image preload
Back to catalog
Lot 190
image_0 image_1 image_2
Mid-20th C. Senufo Carved Wood Stool
Mid-20th C. Senufo Carved Wood Stool
image_0 image_1 image_2

Mid-20th C. Senufo Carved Wood Stool

Estimate: $400 - $600

Starting Bid: $200

(0 Bids)
by Artemis Fine Arts
June 25, 2026 9:00 AM MDT
Live Auction
686 S. Taylor Avenue
Suite 108
Louisville, CO, US 80027

West Africa, Cote d'Ivoire, Senufo, ca. 1940–1970 CE. A low, single-block stool hewn from a dense hardwood by a Senufo carver of the savanna borderlands between Cote d'Ivoire, Mali, and Burkina Faso. The saddle-shaped seat dips into a gentle concavity polished by long use, its lipped edges rising at either end to cradle the sitter, while four short cylindrical legs, set inboard from the corners, anchor the form with a quiet architectural authority. The surface retains the rhythmic chatter of the adze, the underside and legs darkened to a near-black patina from years of contact with earthen floors and palm-oiled hands, the seat itself worn to a softer, paler grain.

Stools of this kind are at once domestic furniture and markers of identity within Senufo society. Among the Senufo, personal seats are commissioned for elders, diviners, and initiates of the Poro and Sandogo associations, and are often carried by their owners to gatherings rather than left in communal space. The unornamented vocabulary, four blunt legs, a scooped plank, descends from the same sculptural intelligence that produced the celebrated rhythm pounders and hornbill figures of the region, here distilled to pure function. Worn smooth by a single body over a working lifetime, the object reads less as furniture than as a portrait of habit. Size: 14.2" W x 6.3" H x 11.3" D (36.1 cm W x 16.0 cm H x 28.7 cm D).

Provenance: ex-private collection, Fairhaven, Massachusetts, USA, collected from 2010 to 2015

SHIPPING: We coordinate worldwide shipping in-house through specialist international forwarders experienced with fine art and antiquities customs manifests. International buyers must confirm, prior to bidding, that their country's customs authority will accept the item. All duties, taxes, clearance fees, and any costs arising from customs delays, seizures, re-export, returns, or loss in transit are the buyer's sole responsibility. Artemis assumes no liability for items refused entry, detained, or lost after export. We cannot ship ancient items to their country of origin (Egyptian to Egypt, Greek to Greece, etc.).

PAYMENT EXCEPTION: For clients not previously established with Artemis, payment for all gold, precious metal, and gemstone lots must be made by bank wire transfer or certified bank check/money order, without exception.

Item # 198412

  • Condition: Fair. Chipping with areas of perforations and small losses as well as old, inactive insect damage. Rich patina throughout.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Auction House will ship, at Buyer's expense

Artemis Fine Arts

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 30% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000