Set of Six Totemic Sculptural Stools in Hand-Carved Wood, Brazil, 1970s - Lot 982-983

Description

This set of six hand-carved Brazilian stools from the 1970s brings together functional seating and the presence of a sculptural installation. Each piece has a pronounced Z-shaped profile, with broad circular surfaces connected by an oblique carved body. Deep recesses open through the wood, creating a play between substantial mass and negative space. Together, the stools establish a rhythmic composition, their related silhouettes distinguished by individual variations in grain, contour, and surface texture.

The wood retains a raw, tactile character. Visible end grain, natural fissures, irregular edges, and carved undulations give each stool its own material identity. Warm brown tones shift across the surfaces, emphasizing the relationship between the geometric form and the organic character of the wood. Their totemic quality emerges from this concentrated vertical presence and repeated sculptural gesture.

Presented as a group, as illustrated, the six stools can be arranged as an installation whose composition changes with spacing, orientation, and viewpoint. A loose arc emphasizes repetition; a more dispersed arrangement allows each form to be read independently. Light passing across the carved recesses further articulates their depth and individuality.

Their role as furniture remains integral to their design. The broad upper surfaces provide seats, allowing the ensemble to gather around a suitably proportioned table or serve as occasional seating throughout a room. Moving between collective composition and individual use, these Brazilian stools bring the same expressive carving to both an artful display and the everyday act of sitting.