Headrest
| Culture | Somali |
|---|---|
| Culture | Boni |
| Title | Headrest (Barkin) |
| Date | 19th–late 20th century |
| Medium | Wood |
| Dimensions | Object: 7 1/8 × 6 1/8 × 2 15/16 in. (18.1 × 15.6 × 7.5 cm) Overall: 7 1/8 × 6 1/8 × 2 15/16 in. (18.1 × 15.6 × 7.5 cm) |
| Credit Line | Gift of John William Johnson, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University |
| Accession Number | 88.15.10 |
| This artwork is currently on view. | |
A wooden headrest with a two rising arms, slightly curved, that support the curved, U-shaped neck cradle. Each arm is decorated with a long, rectangular panel that has an intricate interlocking design in low relief.
In traditional pastoral Somali society, headrests are among the most common objects owned by men. Created to raise the head off the ground when a man is sleeping, they are light and portable, easily carried by young men who spend the night away from their homes while guarding their family herds. Somali men’s headrests have two forms: a single central post joining a base and a platform that supports the head or, as in this example, two thin, curved pieces that join base and platform and are intricately carved with relief patterns related to Islamic art. While the decoration on the sides is non-figural, the platforms of some headrests, including this one, include a carving of a scorpion, a reference to the belief that using the headrest will protect the head from scorpions and other small dangerous creatures that crawl on the ground.
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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Cite this page
"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=88.15.10