Ashanti throne stool, "Mmaa Gwa"

A gift of love and respect, this stool is designed for a husband to give his wife, according to West African traditions. Akin to a throne, the stool is hand-carved from African sese wood and adorned with elaborate brass plates. On the seat the stool features a lizard and a sankorfa bird, this last one an Adinkra symbol that advises to look back on life to evaluate it.

Evans Doe Martey kindly takes care to explain the significance of this piece. "I crafted this product as a mmaa gwa, an Akan term meaning 'woman's stool.' When a man marries he is supposed to give this to his bride, or else when she gives birth. This gift is to show how much he cares and loves her." Apart from their everyday use as furniture, stools play quite a significant role in social as well religious matters for they also stand as a symbol of authority. A chief's stool becomes an object of worship, it is "fed" and "given drinks" during the annual Odwira (Akan) or Homowo (Ga) festivals. The symbols featured on the stools are either proverbial or abstract, and represent the beliefs and aspirations of the clan and its rulers.