Headrest: Female Caryatid Figure

Art Historical Context

This exquisite *Headrest: Female Caryid Figure*, crafted in the 19th century the Master of the Cascade Coiffure, exemplifies the fusion of utility and artistry in traditional African sculpture. Carved from wood and adorned with colorful beads and plant fiber, compact piece (6 3/8 × 5 1/8 × 4 in.) features a graceful female figure in the caryatid pose—oking ancient architectural supports—poised to cradle the sleeper's head. The master's distinctive style, hinted at by the name, likely highlights elaborate hairstyles, celebrating feminine beauty and poise. Headrests like this were essential in many African cultures, preserving intricate coiffures during sleep while doubling as status symbols and sculptural masterpieces. Classified as wood furniture in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Department of Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas, it showcases masterful carving techniques that bring vitality to the figure's form, with beads adding rhythmic texture and cultural resonance. A generous gift from Margaret Barton Plass in honor of William Fagg, a pioneering African art scholar, this headrest invites us to appreciate how everyday objects embodied profound aesthetic and social values in 19th-century artistry.