The connection between the useful and the beautiful is particularly evident in the artistically designed seating. The forms of the African seats are as diverse as their uses.
Simple seats carved from a block of wood are juxtaposed with complexly assembled chairs and royal thrones.
Elementary forms of the purest functionality encounter richly ornamented works with figurative carvings.
From market women to rulers, they are symbols of wealth, dignity and power, and they sometimes have a permanent place in ceremonies and ritual activities.
The seats, which are generally in personal possession, may be kept as memorabilia by the bereaved until no one can remember the previous owner.