Bamileke Beaded Stool (black, white and red)

This beaded Bamileke stool, with a bull scultpure in the centre, was handmade by the Bamileke people of Cameroon and could only be used by nobility. The complexity of the design reflected the status of the person sitting on it. In fact, it was so important for a member of the nobility to sit on a special chair that they would rather stand if a decent one wasn’t available. The person who dared sit on a stool that was above their station would be fined – or worse! These stools are made of metal covered with cloth and embroidered by hand with glass beads. A member of the nobility would always have a stool epicting a powerful animal.