Headrest

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Culture Tami Islands

Title Headrest

Date 20th century

Medium Wood

Dimensions Object: 4 15/16 × 4 9/16 × 3 5/8 in. (12.5 × 11.6 × 9.2 cm)
Overall: 4 15/16 x 4 9/16 x 3 5/8 in. (12.5 x 11.6 x 9.2 cm)

Credit Line Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Henry R. Hope, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University

Accession Number 74.29.2

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About this Work

Artists of the Tami Islands created objects for themselves and as trade items for other islands, making the Tami Islands influential in the art of the region. Headrests were important trade items and frequently incorporated anthropomorphic figures representing significant ancestors or other spirits. Among the peoples of the Tami Islands and many others of the South Pacific, the head was considered the most scared part of the body. Seen as the seat of a person’s soul it is often emphasized in art, as it is here. This importance is also one of the reasons why headrests were such a valued trade good.

Provenance
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Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

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"Headrest | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=74.29.2