Few objects command the reverence that Samburu society reserves for the Ekicholong – a wooden seat that carries the gravitas of tradition and draws invisible boundaries of social and cultural hierarchy.
"This seat signifies authority, power and social standing," Moreno Moreschi, a leader of the pastoralist Samburu community that inhabits north-central Kenya, tells TRT Afrika.
His eyes flicker with a mix of respect and caution as he describes how the Ekicholong emerges only from the hands of chosen craftsmen, said to possess a divinely gifted skill.
"We believe God has gifted only special people in our community with the talent to make this seat," says Loshelen Lolosoli, a community elder.
These select artisans carve the seat exclusively from a species of tree found only in the forest, and whose identity is kept a secret.
Meibekini Loldepe, a 60-year-old craftsman, zealously guards what he considers a privilege that must not be trifled with. "This seat is only made by elders of the community, and I am one of those chosen to carry out this responsibility."
More than a perch
At first glance, the seat appears to be just another piece of furniture that any carpenter could make.
A stump approximately five inches in height is topped with a finely shaped oval wooden seat. When seated on the Ekicholong, the person occupying that position remains only slightly above ground level.
Even this modest elevation carries symbolic weight in a society operating within social boundaries reflecting the Samburu hierarchy.
Children are barred from coming even close to the seat, let alone touch it. Women are required to abide by a different set of restrictions. While they are barred from using the Ekicholong, they can carry it for their husbands on special occasions.
The logic behind not allowing women to use the stool is that Samburu culture traditionally excludes them from leadership roles and decision-making. "Women touch the seat with respect and restraint during ceremonies," explains Lolosoli.
Defiance of traditions governing the use of the Ekicholong usually has strong social consequences.
"If you break with convention, be ready to pay a fine," says a villager. "The penalty is a large ram that is ritualistically slaughtered to cleanse the offender. The community elders gather to roast and eat the meat in a ceremony that is as much about enforcing respect for customs as it is about strengthening societal bonding."
Traditional status symbol
While the Ekicholong is primarily reserved for ceremonies, a select few have the freedom to use it in their daily lives. Elders are known to sit on this low but revered stool at all important gatherings, and sometimes even use it as a pillow to rest in the bushes.
The caveat is that only those commanding status within the community may use the seat as they deem fit. This makes the Ekicholong almost an aspirational symbol within Samburu society.
To the uninitiated, the Ekicholong may be no more than a rustic stool hewn out of a block of wood. But for the Samburu, the Ekicholong represents far more than a piece of furniture.
Also, the Ekicholong represents both authority and the wisdom that comes with age, making it a status symbol that belongs exclusively to respected men of a certain age within this close-knit community.
