Extra Large Turkana Headrest with Leather

The Turkana occupy vast, dry lands in northern Kenya. Their adversarial neighbors, the Pokot, make and use very similar headrests. This spectacularly large specimen, like all examples of its general type, has been carved from a single, inverted section of timber selected from the crotch of an acacia tree. Two swirls of heartwood are visible at the top of the headrest. By using a natural bifurcation, the headrest’s creator took advantage of the wood’s diverging grain, creating an especially strong yet lightweight piece of portable furniture capable if necessary of bearing a man’s full weight. This gorgeous old example is 25% larger than typical, probably because it was made for an especially tall individual. Old American collection.

9″ x 10″

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