TS_Art of Africa_4C.qxp 10/17/2011 3:51 PM Page 164
Mutsago headrest (Shona), late 19th-20thcentury.
Wood, 14 x 21 x 8.5 cm.
Jonathan Lowen Collection.The Shona speaking people made headrests in an array of styles and motifs,
varying especially for canonical types which have been identified by scholars.
Here, the only proof of Shonan design is the upper platform; the base and
supports are more similar to those commonly found by Tsonga speakers in
Mozambique and Transvaal. Further, it bears resemblence to European furniture,
particularly in the side columnar supports and the end supports which have their
own circular base, though they have clearly been carved with the rectangular
base of the whole. Conventional Shona practice is obvious based on the
treatment of the relief on the ends in chevron patterns. The cross-shapes in the
centres of the longer sides also conform to the designs used in Karangan and
Kalangan headrests.
It is impossible to detect any symbolic content due to the lack of decorative
motifs outside of the upper platform, especially the abstraction of the base. We
come to question change and adaptation of tradition as a result of outside
influence, as it is clearly formed from ideas taken from various sources.Xiqamelo headrest (Shangaan), early 20thcentury.
Eastern Transvaal, South Africa.
Wood, 15 x 20 x 9 cm.
Jaques Collection, Johannesburg Art Gallery.Based on the quality and viruoso carving, the reputation of this remarkable
headrest from southern Africa is like no other known headrest from the area.
Each corner has four tube-like forms rising from the base to twist around each
other and around a central suspended knob which supports a cross-bar.
Between the confined space of the cross-bar and the base there is a sense of
contained, compressed energy - even more obvious when one realises the
headrest is carved from one piece of wood. The flat, rectangular plane of the
base protrudes slightly and the lugs have been reduced to a more simple volume
on the underside of the cross-bar. Here, the vigour and complexity of the central
section are contrasted by the understated extensions. The headrest appears
unused and no one knows if it was made for local consumption or for sale; the
names of the makers and owners are not recorded and there is no information
about the time in which it was created.Stool (Songye/Sungu), early 20thcentury.
Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Wood, 24 x 29 x 17 cm.
The Trustees of the British Museum, London.The slender character of the central and outer supports of this stool are
extraordinary, particularly when considering it was extensively carved from a solid
piece of wood. Resembling a headrest more than a stool in terms of size and the
weight it was likely meant to expect, the overall shape and wear on the upper
surface imply it was meant to be sat on. In no way does it appear to have been of
chiefly use, and there is no documentation associated with it which indicates its
demarcation in any way. Presumably, it was meant for the use of women or children.