Antique Headrest

If you’re not familiar with this item, it’s an antique headrest. That’s basically a pillow. These have been used for thousands of years and are still used in some parts of Africa today. In the ancient world, these were considered luxuries. In fact, eight headrests were found in the tomb of King Tutankhamun in Egypt. These have been located in many parts of the world. I’ve seen similar objects in museums in Asia and Europe.

This particular headrest is an antique I found in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. If you look at the pictures, you can see it’s been carved from one solid piece of dark wood. (Due to deforestation issues in Ethiopia, I’d be reluctant to buy a new souvenir made from wood there at this time.) While this one is made of wood, other ancient pillows have been found made of stone or pottery. Some have even been found made of ivory, glass or alabaster – such as some of King Tut’s.

This headrest will eventually belong to my youngest daughter who is also originally from Ethiopia. She will enjoy having an unusual piece of history.