Origin: Kenya
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The head-rest is the African equivalent of western pillows.
The sleeper, lying on the side, places the head-rest below his ear to mantain his head in the axe
of his vertebrae. But this instrument is also indispensable for populations who traditionally have very elaborate hair styles. These hair styles, generally very long and complicated to compose, are designed to be kept as long as possible. By mantaining the sleeper's head at a height, the head-rest contributes to preserving his hair style, which would be quickly ruined by sleeping with his head on the floor. This Masai head-rest is of monoxyl type. It is composed of a round plate slightly curved torward the center and has three short legs for stability.
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