1969.S.109 Headrest

African "pillows" are traditionally made of wood, ivory, or fired clay. The basic form of two platforms separated by a vertical post is consistent throughout Africa, from Egypt to South Africa, and throughout time, from antiquity to the present. This Luba headrest is decorated with the nkaka pattern, representing the scales of a pangolin (scaly anteater). This pattern is found on many important Luba royal emblems and objects used for rites that invoke spiritual aid.

Roslyn A. Walker, Label text, Arts of Africa, 2015.

n.d.: Clark and Frances Stillman Collection, Dallas, Texas/New York

1969: Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, gift of Eugene and Margaret McDermott [1]

[1] The name of the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, founded in 1933, was changed to the Dallas Museum of Art in 1983.

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