South African Tsonga Carved Travelling Headrest
A South African Tsonga Carved Travelling Headrest and Staff
19th Century
Size: 15cm high, 9cm deep, 54cm long – 6 ins high, 3½ ins deep, 21¼ ins long
See: Finch and Co catalogue no. 4, item no. 22 for a similar example
19th Century
Size: 15cm high, 9cm deep, 54cm long – 6 ins high, 3½ ins deep, 21¼ ins long
See: Finch and Co catalogue no. 4, item no. 22 for a similar example
The combination of a walking staff and a headrest is thought to have been produced in response to the itinerant workforce in the countryside. Lightweight and portable these travelling headrests provided their male owners with a pillow for sleep, contact with the ancestors through thought provoking dreams, the means to transport their bundle of belongings when tied to the end, and if necessary, it could be used for protection.
South African Tsonga Carved Travelling Headrest
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