The legend of the golden stool

- sacred to ashanti

-elaborate legend surrounding it that is told by old ashanti men

- it is carefully protected

- no one has ever sat in it and since its arrival it has never touched the ground 

-symbol that represents the worship of ancestors, well-being, and the nation of the ashanti

- believed to possess the 'sunsum' (soul) of the ashanti

-according to legend, it descended from heaven in a cloud of white dust and landed in the lap of he first ashanti king, osei tutu

   - the king's priest proclaimed the strength and unity depended upon the safety of the golden stool 

   - legitimized the rule of the possessor 

-today the golden stool is housed in the Asante royal palace in Kumasi, Ghana 

-going off of these concepts, I intended for my piece to display a scared atmosphere, as it was a holy object to the ashanti. The stool also embodied the idea of the power of its possessor. I used ,u stool to symbolize my own life and the fact that I am the only one who decides how it will play out. In this way, I, as the possessor, have all the control over my life, illustrated through the stool. Also important to the ashanti was ancestor worship and family. I incorporated.  This idea into my piece as family and friends are a huge part of my life. All of the little  patterns represent a small part of my life all piecing together, and completely in my control. Each part is there because I made the choice for it to be.