Headrests like this are more often than not attributed to the Himba/Ovahimba but while it has passing similarities to a number of Himba headrests, this one has attributes and characteristics that set it apart from other superficially similar pieces.
Unlike nearly all Himba headrests it is made with a different darker wood and it has an incised and pokerwork design which we have not observed on a single Himba headrest that we have seen. It is also a more refined piece of carving than its Himba equivalents, with its rounded rather than flat pierced upright support and the elegantly pinched ends of the “pillow”. So what is its origin? Difficult to say with any certainty but it surely could be attributed to a number of North Nguni peoples.
