SWAZI/ZULU, South Africa. Wood, brown patina. Monoxyle headrest resting on two feet decorated with grooves and a tubular protuberance in the centre. Cattle were the keystone of Swazi social organisation, and this headrest evokes an animal. The grooves on the legs are reminiscent of the "Isidwaba", a skirt made from the hide of an animal that was used to pay matrimonial compensation. 1st half of the 20th century. Length: 42.5 cm. Height: 14 cm. Provenance: Former Lefevre collection. Literary reference: See a similar example, fig 83, pages 262 and 263 "UBUNTU", arts and cultures of South Africa, RMN 2002.