Gurage Wood Headrest, Ethiopia

Plainly, a low, long head rest with a curved top and a blunt, knobbed nose.

This carved wooden headrest is Gurage, from Ethiopia, East Africa. It is wood. The Gurage of southern Ethiopia are farming communities, and carved wooden household objects such as stools and headrests are generally cut from a single piece of timber. Presented simply, a low stool-like form with a gently scooped, elongated top and four short curved legs. One end carries a small projecting knob. The surface is smooth, honey brown, and polished by wear, with pale patches along the edge. It is 12 inches wide, 7.2 deep and 5.4 high.

Low and long, and shaped for deeply serious naps.