Gurage Wood Headrest, Ethiopia

The owner kept it for many years. Hairstyles were serious business.

Headrests were used throughout the region to support the head during sleep and protect carefully dressed hair. This one was carved by the Gurage peoples of Ethiopia in the mid to late 19th century.

A shallow crescent top rises gently at each end above a short neck circled by a ringed collar. The base flares into a broad, smooth cone. The wood is a deep reddish-brown with a glossy patina, small chips along the top edge. Just over five inches tall, clean and spare.

Less is the whole idea.