African Old Authentic Ethiopian Headrest – Ethiopia.

Ethiopia: Old African Ethiopian Authentic Headrest.size are 15 cm x 15 cm.This headrest was used by its owner to preserve his or her elaborate hairstyle during sleep. The reddish-brown object is composed of two elements carved from a single piece of wood: a double-cone base and a crescent-shaped platform. Tapered at the ends, the rest area at top is smooth and retains an oiled surface gained through frequent close contact with the head and hair dressings. Personal objects, headrests support the head by cradling it along the jawline, elevating it from the ground. While some regions of central and southern Africa associate headrests with dreaming and divination, they are purely practical in eastern African. Ergonomically, they align the spine, while functionally, they protect intricate hairstyles from dust or from being flattened. Hairstyles, which can take hours to create, are not simply for beautification, but serve as the visual representation of their wearer’s social status, age, rank, and gender. The personal nature of the headrest is reflected in the vocabulary used to describe them in two of Ethiopia’s most commonly spoken languages. In Amharic, they are known as yagertera (“pillow of my land”), while in Oromiffaa, they are called boraatiz(“tomorrow-you”). (Moreno... lees verder bij Catawiki