Zoomorphic Stool Talisman
Lobi, Burkina Faso
Copper alloy
19th century

The world in which the vast majority of Burkinabé live is a virtual supernatural ether, suffused with unseen beings and ethereal powers. Nothing happens by chance; any event that occurs, good or bad, is linked in some manner to this unseen world. Diviners specifically prescribe the vast majority of objects that serve as medicinal or spiritual remedies or spirit entities to fight attacks from natural and supernatural sources.

The presence of three legs defines a Lobi stool as belonging to a man; seats with four legs belonged to women. Three legged Lobi stools were social accessories often carried to gatherings, especially to local bars. Stools are also believed to protect their owners against malevolent spirits (Roy, Christopher D., & Wheelock, Thomas, G.B. Land of the Flying Masks: Art and Culture in Burkina Faso, 2007).

2.25 x 3.75 in :: 5.5 x 9.5 cm

InventoryID #13-1963

SOLD