Stool with Four Legs

Origin: Bambarra Tribe, Mali
Composition: wood

The Bambarra are members of the Mande culture, a large and powerful group of peoples in western Africa. Kaarta and Segou are Bambarra city-states, which were established in the 17th century and continued to have political influence throughout the western Sudan states into the 19th century.

The religion of the Bambarra is directly related to the initiation societies (dyow). As an initiate moves through the six societies, he or she is taught vital issues concerning societal concepts of the moral conduct of life, which contribute to the overall well-being of the individual and the community. Through the six levels of education the initiate learns the importance of knowledge and secrecy, is taught to challenge sorcery, and learns about the dual nature of mankind, the necessity for hard labor in the production of crops, and the realities of surviving from day to day.

The final dyow, the kore, is devised to allow a man to regain that portion of his spirit that has been lost to the god through the process of reincarnation. If a man is unable to regain his spirit for several lifetimes, he will be entirely absorbed by the god and will cease to exist on Earth. The goal of the initiate then is to usurp the power of the god and remain on Earth, undergoing endless reincarnation. (ref: Christopher Roy, University of Iowa)