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Headrest, 20th Century
Swazi culture; Swaziland or South Africa
Wood; 5 7/8 × 15 1/8 × 3 3/4 …
Headrest
Headrest, 20th Century
Swazi culture; Swaziland or South Africa
Wood; 5 7/8 × 15 1/8 × 3 3/4 …
Headrest, 20th Century Swazi culture; Swaziland or South Africa Wood; 5 7/8 × 15 1/8 × 3 3/4 in. 2017.11.54 Gift of Anne and Long Shung Shih

Headrest

ClassificationsFurnishings-Furniture-headrests
Culture Swazi
Date20th Century
Made AtKingdom of Eswatini, Africa
Made AtSouth Africa, Africa
MediumWood
Dimensions5 7/8 × 15 1/8 × 3 3/4 in. (14.9 × 38.4 × 9.5 cm)
Credit LineGift of Anne and Long Shung Shih
Object number2017.11.54
DescriptionThe vertical grooves along the legs, lack of a third leg under the middle of the platform and non-cylindrical legs confirm that this is a Swazi headrest. Swazi headrests were closely informed by their relationship with the Zulu and also both cultures’ relationship to cattle. Many less-stylized Swazi headrests take definite features of cows such as legs and tails, but here we still see a bulky form and phallic appendage marking the middle of the headrest. Double-long headrests were shared by married couples.
On View
Not on view
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