Dinka / Sudan - Dinka - Africa / Sudan.

Dinka / Sudan / Authentic Piece

Dinka combat neck-rest.

Several expert assessments of the object, notably the assessment by Amyas Naegele of New York, a specialist in the arts of Southern Africa, lead us to believe that this is a headrest designed with a double function, including that of a shield to parry or deflect blows potentially delivered by an adversary.
Its rich patina, wear, and considerable oxidation attest to many decades of use.
Faithful to Dinka aesthetics, the deep grooves, the curved back, the four feet, outline a well-composed whole symbolizing the proportions of a bull.

This neck-rest is quite exceptional in its beauty and originality, but also for its double use and its antiquity.

Estimated to be from the early 20th century
From the Amyas Naegele collection, New York. USA.

Authentic piece used in tribal usage.
Provenance / Personal collection gathered over more than thirty years.