Isigqiki (Headrest)

Artist Zulu artist

Dateearly 20th century

MediumWood

Dimensionsheight, width, and depth: 6 1/2 x 20 1/2 x 2 1/2 in. (16.5 x 52.1 x 6.4 cm)

ClassificationsWood

Credit LineGift of Rhonda Morgan Wilkerson, PhD

Object number2024.22.8

On View

On view

Label TextHeadrests support the neck of a sleeping person and protect an elaborate hairstyle or headdress. They are also markers of one’s allegiances, and an individual commissioning a headrest could show his or her ties with a group through style.

For example, the six-legged headrest in this case features a zigzag pattern on the side of each leg. This may reference royal jewelry and raised-bump designs that have become a hallmark of Zulu style.ProvenanceCreated in South Africa, early 20th century. [Mlaba African Curios, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa], Rhonda Morgan Wilkerson, Morrisville, NC, 2002; given to NCMA, 2024.Exhibition HistoryRaleigh, NC, North Carolina Museum of Art, "The People's Collection, Reimagined," October 7, 2022–present. Object Rights Statement

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