I had never seen this type of chair before moving to Senegal as an expat. For several months, I didn’t try them because I assumed they must be incredibly uncomfortable. To be honest, most are made from thinner wood (people here are really poor!), so they didn’t look very sturdy either.
But a few weeks ago, I visited a local woodworker and ordered one of these chairs. I had to let go of all my previous prejudices - this type of chair is surprisingly comfortable and stable. And it's even useful for certain "other" activities :-D
Even though they are African in origin (perhaps as birthing chairs), a lot of people know these as 'viking chairs' or sometimes as 'bog chairs' and you see them at SCA events and various sorts of old timey reenactment type gatherings, often decorated with celtic knots and such motifs.
Crazy to see them warrant a posting here, I had assumed most people had seen them before.
But a few weeks ago, I visited a local woodworker and ordered one of these chairs. I had to let go of all my previous prejudices - this type of chair is surprisingly comfortable and stable. And it's even useful for certain "other" activities :-D