Reclineheads

The existence of headrests or backrests from ancient Egypt is known. More or less intensively, its use extends to almost all of Africa.

It's actually this part of the head, the back of the head, that's looking for support. Its purpose is not for the head to rest to fall asleep. Its purpose is to support the neck to protect the hairstyle. African women, especially those of high social status, are played, on the occasion of parties and ceremonies, with showy hairstyles that sometimes last several days. Although men have also used them less often because in some regions on special occasions they also wear artistic hairstyles. They are currently in disuse.

These small objects, which rarely exceed the 15 Or twenty centimeters high, they are usually artistically sculpted or soberly realized according to the range and culture to which their owner belongs. Built normally from a single piece of wood are often true works of art, as is the case of the supporters Ashanti.

For the Luba this object is the receptacle of dreams during which it receives confidences from ancestors. Famous are its waterfall reclineheads called mikandawhose caryatids have a laborious hairstyle that imitates that of the women of the Luba region, whose elaboration sometimes takes more than two days of work. Another typical hairstyle of these women is the cross-shaped hairstyle on the back of the head.