Head Rest, WaZimba, MaNyema 1935

Editor: Here we have Walker Evans’s photograph of a wooden headrest made in 1935 by the WaZimba and MaNyema people. It feels strangely monumental in this composition, a merging of the functional with something… totemic. What’s your take? Curator: I find myself drawn to its stillness. There’s an inherent contradiction here. This is an intimate object, something to cradle a resting head, but presented almost like an austere monument in Evans's shot. Do you see how the figure supports the headrest, not just structurally but almost spiritually? It’s a really moving interplay between support and burden, stillness and function. Editor: It almost seems sad, with the downturned eyes of the figure. Was it meant to depict someone specific? Curator: That's the fascinating part. These headrests weren't necessarily portraits, but more about invoking a presence, a connection to ancestors or spirits, perhaps lending protection or blessings during sleep. That form—the gentle curve where a head might lay – that's not just practical; it's a kind of hopeful gesture towards dreams, wouldn't you say? A silent promise of safe passage into the night. Editor: I hadn’t thought about the protective element – I was so focused on the figure. That adds a whole other layer. Curator: Right? It makes you think about what we value, what we entrust with our vulnerability. An object imbued with meaning becomes a silent guardian. I see in it the echo of whispered prayers and shared dreams. Editor: I’ll definitely see these types of objects differently now. It really puts functionality into another light.