Skip to content
Pitt Rivers Museum
AboutHire the MuseumNewsletterUniversity of Oxford

1978.20.263

Carved wooden headrest. The seat is rectangular and concavely curved. The stem of the headrest splits to form two splayed legs with rectangular feet. The seat, stem and feet are decorated with aluminium studs and beads hammered into the wood. The stem is perforated, and threaded through the hole is a leather strap and a piece of metal wire, on which coloured beads are threaded. [EH [OPS Move] 27/3/2017]

1978.20.263

Digital asset copyright: Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford

Terms and Conditions

If you wish to order a high-resolution image and/or licence its use for print or web publication, exhibition, film, promotional product or any other use, whether in the academic or commercial sector of any print run, then please visit photographic services.

Collection type
Object
Description
Carved wooden headrest. The seat is rectangular and concavely curved. The stem of the headrest splits to form two splayed legs with rectangular feet. The seat, stem and feet are decorated with aluminium studs and beads hammered into the wood. The stem is perforated, and threaded through the hole is a leather strap and a piece of metal wire, on which coloured beads are threaded. [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 Aluminium Metal, Material Bead, Material Metal Wire, Process Carved, Process Decorated, Process Hammered, Process Beadwork, Process Perforated, Process Strung
Dimensions
Height: max 158 mm, Width: max 62 mm, Length: max 123 mm
Object numbers
Accession number: 1978.20.263 Other numbers: JB7A
Associated publications
Illustrated (author's drawing) as Figure 229 on page 233 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: '229. Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford (no. 1978.20.263), collected by Jean Brown, Kenya, E of Mt Elgon, Pokot (Tiati Pokot), ngachar, wood, bead, metal, 14 cm h.' Also listed (same information) on page 453 of the 'List of Illustrations'. See also Nettleton's discussion on page 207-8 and reference in note 61 on page 412. [SM 09/05/2008]

Search terms: Furniture Dwelling, Status, Headrest