A Shona Headrest with Attached Glass Bead Strand

Object Description

A Shona Headrest with Attached Glass Bead Strand
Fine colour and patina through extended use to the upper part of the elegant support, dry aged patina to the lower oval base
Wood, black and white glass beads
Shona / South Africa
19th Century

SIZE: 15cm high, 14cm wide – 6 ins high, 5½ ins wide

Object History

Purchased at auction, England, 2016 from a private collection
Ex Private collection

Object Literature

The lustre of the patina comes from continuous use. The wood becoming saturated with hair oils, the headrest takes on the identity of the sleeper and comes to be seen as their spiritual representative. Headrests from this area were often buried with their owner.
A distinctive feature of these headrests are the vertical lugs extending from both sides of the cross-bar. The lobed base supports a carved central support from which rise three upright beams. A personal embellishment in the form of a long strand of ‘European’ black and white glass beads. Headrests from this area have a great inventiveness in the form and variation of design of the central support. While they were not made to be radically different from one another, the subtle variations distinguish each remarkable piece.

Object Details