Gurage Wood Headrest, Ethiopia

Pale round tabletop on a single rectangular post, standing on a rounded dome.

This carved wood headrest is Gurage, from Ethiopia, East Africa. The Gurage live in the highlands of southern Ethiopia, where wood carving, farming and the cultivation of the enset plant are long-established parts of life. Wide, flat, light tan top with a small notch at the back edge sits on a squared post. The post rests on a smooth, darker domed base. The surface is clean and finely grained, with minimal wear.

Light-toned, simply put together, and wonderfully direct.