Neck rest - Wood

Shona Headrest - Object Details
Manufacturer
Shona Artist
Tsonga Artist
Label Text
Shona and Tsonga headrests share similar stylistic characteristics. This headrest is typical of the Shona style in two of its three structural elements. The upper platform is rectangular, its ends slightly curved upward and provided with flap-shaped appendages. The base is a three-part flat head with openings, the central structure is solid, giving the piece visual and structural strength.
Some elements of these headrests evoke the female gender: the flat shape at the center of the base, the carved areas at the ends of the upper platform, imitating scarifications (nyora). Research has located the origin of a headrest similar to Chipinga, in the southeast of Mozambique, attributing it to the Tsonga.
Originally, the headrest served as a wooden pillow. Headrests were reserved for adult men. Although elaborate hairstyles, composed of ornate tufted hair and beaded, are no longer common among the Shona and Tsonga, headrests retain religious and ritual functions. It is reported that they were used to pray to the ancestors. They are also part of the toolkit of mediums; their association with the ancestors authenticates their practices. They are linked to the widespread belief in Shona society that dreams are an important means of acquiring knowledge and solving problems. It is also believed that dreams help artists, notably musicians and sculptors, to realize their creations.
The use of headrests in Southern Africa is ancient. Excavations at Great Zimbabwe revealed gold plaques that probably covered headrests buried with their owners from the 12th century CE. Other headrests have been found in caves that served as tombs for the Shonas over the centuries. More recently, Shona headrests that were not buried with their owners have been passed down to male heirs, probably perpetuating an ancient practice.