Dogon Door with Carved Details, Mali Early 20th Century

The Baule Tribe from the Ivory Coast of West Africa is well-known for their artistic tribal art, sculptures, and furniture. With a rich cultural history, their creations are also full of history both visually and in their execution. This beautiful pair of chairs is the visual epitome of the tribe’s talents. The thin, wooden yokes...

This “kubbstol” or “kubbestol” is a traditional Scandinavian chair made from a log. The kubbestol was quite common in some districts of Norway from about 1750 to 1960, where it was usually made from logs with significant girth and three to four feet in length. The tree trunk was hollowed out so that the base (from the seat down) would be cylindrical while the back of the chair continues upward from the seat in a curved shield that makes the chair both snug and comfortable. Most, but not all, kubbestols were decorated with carving, painting, or some combination of the two. This chair has beautiful folk patterns hand carved into it, with visible, raw craftsmanship. Carved and painted decorations would differ from district to district and styles changed over time. While the log is seemingly roughly shaped, this chair is surprisingly comfortable, as functionality has been historically important for Scandinavian furniture makers. The kubbestol was often placed next to the open-hearth fireplace or next to the bed, and it was reserved for the head of the household. Large, impressive farmhouses might have had several richly carved and painted kubbestols as a display of wealth and status. These days the log chair has become a symbol of Scandinavian roots for many families with ties to Norway, Sweden, or Denmark. The kubbestol is a reminder of our rural heritage and a time when most things in and around the home were made by hand from materials found in nature. Essentially a chair hewn from a tree trunk, this chair is as closely associated with Norway as Peer Gynt...

This organic sculpture by contemporary artist Domingos Tótora is a visual expression of the artist’s view of design. Tótora creates objects and sculptures where beauty is inseparable...

Senufo stools are traditional, handcrafted stools, integral to the Senufo people's cultural heritage. This piece was crafted in the Ivory Coast in the first half of the 20th century....

Early 20th Century Granary Door Lock, Bamana Peoples, Mali A figurative wood door lock from the Bamana (Bambara) people of Mali. This probably depic...

This is an authentic antique Dogon door lock from the early 20th century, originating from the Dogon tribe of Mali. Beautiful hand-carved from wood, this piece is adorned with intri...

A substantial and large hand-carved wood antique Dogon Y-shaped post, from Mali, Africa featuring large voluptuous breasts above a geometric Kanaga mask sy...

An early 20th century carved wood door panel from Timor Island in the Indonesian archipelago. This antique wall panel from Timor Island (an isl...