"Embrace" Luba Headrest Sculpture

c. 1900

$2,880

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Dimensions

W: 11.0" D: 6.75" H: 15.25"

Materials

Wood

Purchase Quantity

Collection #

CAA0761

Estimated Shipping

$250

The Luba people of Zaire believed that ancestors visited them through dreams. This belief led to elaborately worked headrests, known as "seats of dreams." Such headrests were used to preserve the elaborate hairstyles of the high-status Luba-Shankadi woman while they slept. This large-scale, sculptural headrest shows a pair of figures embracing one another, an inventive and highly respected configuration for this type of object. The wonderful, dark polish on the figures intensifies the lighter incised markings.

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Headrests

Headrests and neck pillows have been used since ancient times to keep the head elevated while sleeping and hold the body in a comfortable position. Whether functional or purely decorative, such headrests were crafted from a variety of materials and were often decorated with elaborate patterns or symbolic motifs.