Gurage Wood Headrest, Ethiopia

Chunky, wide-shouldered block, with a blue-grey top and a single dark hole near the base.

This carved wood headrest is Gurage, from Ethiopia, East Africa. Headrests are made across many parts of Africa and are generally used in place of a pillow, raising the head so that hairstyles stay in place during sleep. Tall, heavy, nearly cylindrical body with only a slight flare, deep brown with a smoky, worn surface. A vertical seam runs down the front, and a small square dark hole is near the bottom. The top has a blue-grey, shallow dish.

Solid, stubborn, and rather proud of its heft.