Unrecorded artist, Zulu Peoples

Notes

This headrest is from an old British collection and probably dates to the late 19th century.

Precisely carved, it stands on an unusually shaped base, with a simulated brickwork house at the centre. The ends of the platform taper downwards, creating a subtle zoomorphic effect.

The decoration includes indlela ziyegoli-style crosshatching and linear grooves on the legs, fluting on the platform ends, and finely carved brickwork on the house.

— Bruce Goodall

*This item is accompanied by the book by Bruce Goodall, Frédéric Zimmer, Mavis Duma, Nessa Liebhammer, Karel Nel (2021) Headrest of southern Africa: The Architecture of Sleep - KwaZulu-Natal, Eswatini and Limpopo, Milan, Italy: 5 Continents Editions

Provenance

Adam Prout, Jeremy Sabine, Bruce Goodall Collection.

Literature

Bruce Goodall, Frédéric Zimmer, Mavis Duma, Nessa Liebhammer, Karel Nel (2021) Headrest of southern Africa: The Architecture of Sleep - KwaZulu-Natal, Eswatini and Limpopo, Milan, Italy: 5 Continents Editions.