ETHIOPIAN, HEADRESTS, Ethiopia

*Ethiopian Headrest 73was selected by the Fitchburg Museum and was donated to their permanent collection.

In many African cultures, small wooden "pillows" are used to support the head during sleep and in some instances to preserve a hairstyle. In Ethiopia, the headrests come in several forms and relate to other intricate, but abstract works. This group is massive and solid, with an almost circular base tapering to a narrower curving top.