Headrest
Unknown Artist
1800s–1900s
Medium
Wood
Dimensions
h. 10.2 cm
Classification
Furniture and woodwork
Department
African Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund
Accession Number
2010.198
About this artwork
The shape of this four-legged headrest alludes to cattle, whether bull, ox, or cow. This reference services from the fact that these animals are a source of wealth but also act as mediators between the living and the dead. In earlier days, both headrests and cattle were used in dowry transactions.