ACK 0621-2
Lobi Tripod stool, Burkina Faso
Elongated stool with three feet, ornamented with two typical Lobi heads.
Stools of this kind particularly served to sit during the village palavers. They are still currently used.
The Lobi people live in the western region of Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) and in Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) and speak a Gur language of the Niger-Congo family. They are farmers and hunters who grow millet and sorghum as staples. Traditionally, the Lobi ruled themselves through the clan system without any formal political organization.
Religious beliefs were purely animistic until Islamic influence entered the area around the 14th century. Polygyny is practiced. In 1897, France annexed the Lobi lands, but due to the Lobi’s effective use of poisoned arrows, the population was not subdued until 1903.
Age: Period Mid 20th Century.
Measure: L: 70, H: 18, W: 18 cm
Condition: Vintage – used with visible signs of wear. No marks or insect bites.
Provenance: Private collection, Belgium
Literature about Lobi:
Katsouros and Herkenhoff, Skulpturen der Lobi – book ISBN.10:3-00-019165-8 and ISBN-13: 978-3-00-019165-7
Petra & Stephan Herkenhoff, Schnitzer der Lobi, – book ISBN 978-3-924790-90-5 German language.
Petra & Stephan Herkenhoff, Maternités aus dem Pays Lobi, Text in German, English and French –
ISBN: 978-3-00-056992-0
