Headrest
Qua/Calabar culture, Nigeria/Cameroon
Terracotta
5.25" (13.3 cm) high by 5" (12.7 cm) wide
10th to 11th century
Ex. private New York collection

This expressive headrest is from the Qua/Calabar culture of Eastern Nigeria and Northern Cameroon. Pieces of this type were discovered during building and road work in Calabar. As a result of dating by thermoluminescence, they have been assigned to the 10th-11th centuries, although this particular piece has not been tested. Please see a very similar headrest on page 249 of Earth and Ore by Schaedler.
#6677

$550