Gurage Wood Headrest, Ethiopia

A small drilled hole near one corner, vertical grooves down the sides, and a top polished dark by generations of necks.

The Gurage peoples of Ethiopia made this headrest in the mid to late 19th century. Headrests supported the neck during sleep, protecting elaborate hairstyles, and were often carried from place to place as personal possessions. This one is cut from a single solid block, its upper edge curving in a smooth concave cradle. Age cracks and scratches add to the record. Seven inches long, with the density of an object handled daily.

Not a pillow. A philosophy of sleep.