Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Source Description
The shape of this four-legged headrest alludes to cattle, whether bull, ox, or cow. This reference services from the fact that these animals are a source of wealth but also act as mediators between the living and the dead. In earlier days, both headrests and cattle were used in dowry transactions.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
168415
label
Headrest
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
168415
contentType
object
title
Headrest
description
The shape of this four-legged headrest alludes to cattle, whether bull, ox, or cow. This reference services from the fact that these animals are a source of wealth but also act as mediators between the living and the dead. In earlier days, both headrests and cattle were used in dowry transactions.
date
1800s–1900s
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q60758108
genreSpecific
Furniture and woodwork
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 10.2 cm (4 in.)
cul
Africa, Southern Africa, South Africa, Zulu-style carver
Africa, Southern Africa, South Africa, Kingdom of Eswatini, Swazi-style carver
accession
2010.198
Source extras
tec
Wood
tombstone
Headrest, 1800s–1900s. Africa, Southern Africa, South Africa, Zulu-style carver. Wood; overall: 10.2 cm (4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund, 2010.198
collection
African Art
didYouKnow
Headrests served to protect the elaborate coiffures highly fashionable until the early to mid-20th century and also enhanced contact with the ancestral realm through dreams.
citations
citation
Ginzberg, Marc. African Forms, exh. cat., Museum for African Art, New York. Milan: Skira, 2000, pg. 40
creditline
Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund
updatedAt
2026-05-29 08:39:41.947000
sourceId
168415
dept
African Art
coll
African Art
med
Wood
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
7d594696c0af7cf3