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1978.20.33

Carved wooden headrest. [EH [OPS Move] 27/3/2017]

1978.20.33

Digital asset copyright: Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford

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Collection type
Object
Description
Carved wooden headrest. [EH [OPS Move] 27/3/2017]
Long description
Carved wooden headrest. The seat is rectangular and concavely curved. The stem of the headrest splits near the top to form two legs. The legs have been bound together with leather, which has been shaped to form two handles and covered in coloured beads and ?recycled zips. [EH [OPS Move] 27/3/2017]
Geographical reference
Kenya
Africa > Eastern Africa > Kenya
East of Mount Elgon
Cultural groups
Tiati
Person
Field collector Jean Brown Sassoon
PRM source Jean Brown Sassoon
Date / Period
Date made: Before 1978
Date collected
By 1978
Acquisition information
Purchased: 1978
Materials and processes
Material Wood Plant, Material Animal Leather Skin, Material Glass, Material Bead, Material Metal, Process Carved, Process Decorated, Process Stitched, Process Beadwork
Dimensions
Height: max 210 mm, Width: max 58 mm, Length: max 117 mm
Object numbers
Accession number: 1978.20.33 Other numbers: MH26A or MH26B
Associated publications
Illustrated (photograph) as Figure 245 on page 238 of African Dream Machines: Style, Identity and Meaning of African Headrests, by Anitra Nettleton (Johannesburg: Wits University Press, 2007). Caption (with image, same page) reads: 245. Oxford, Pitt Rivers Museum (left: no. 1978.20.264), collected by Jean Brown, Western Kenya, East of Mount Elgon, Pokot (Tiati Pokot). Ngachar/champerit, type given to a young man on his initiation, by his best friend, wood, beads, fibre, hide, 22.5 cm h; (right: no. 1978.20.265), collected by Jean Brown, Western Kenya, East of Mount Elgon, Pokot (Tiati Pokot). Ngachar, made and used by men of the youngest age-set, wood, beads, fibre, hide, 20.5 cm h; centre: details of Pitt Rivers Museum, nos. 1978.20.262 (l), .43(c), .33 (r) Also listed (same information) on page 454 of the 'List of Illustrations'. [SM 09/05/2008]

Search terms: Furniture Dwelling, Status, Religion, Ritual and Ceremonial, Headrest