About two dozen headrests with zoomorphic and anthropomorphic features are illustrated in the literature on the art of southeast Africa. Yet this is the only example that simultaneously evokes the human figure and takes the form of a four-legged animal with splayed legs. Female genitalia and breasts are carved on the underside. The figure also has a strange tail and wears a flat, circular hat. Sections of the headrest have pokerwork to provide passages with a distinct contrast to the blonde wood. The surface was varnished, probably soon after it was collected, and has crackled in places over time. The top support has broken off and been repaired, as is often the case.
The robust and bulbous aesthetic of this headrest is distinctive. The other published examples have more sinuous lines, and the only related example is illustrated in HPN Muller and JF Snelleman, Industrie des Cafres du sud-est de l’Afrique, Leyden, 1893, plate XV, no 3. The similarities between the illustrated example and this headrest are numerous, and it is a strong possibility that they were carved by the same hand (Michael Stevenson). |
