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Sur la piste de l'éléphant et celle d'Abou Ballas : de l'usage des repose-tête en Afrique, de la préhistoire jusqu'à nos jours = On the trail of the elephant and that of Abu Ballas : the use of headrests in Africa, from prehistory to the present /

Title
Sur la piste de l'éléphant et celle d'Abou Ballas : de l'usage des repose-tête en Afrique, de la préhistoire jusqu'à nos jours = On the trail of the elephant and that of Abu Ballas : the use of headrests in Africa, from prehistory to the present / Claude-Henri Pirat
Author
Pirat, Claude-Henri,
Publication
Bornival : Primedia sprl, 2021

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Description
296 pages : illustrations, maps; 31 cm
Summary
The need for a pillow, a headrest or a neck rest is one of the most widely spread among humans, as is the need for a seat. They may not be an exclusively African invention, but the oldest known carved headrests nonetheless come from Africa, for the most part from the Egypt of the Pharaohs. Their use is attested in prehistoric times in the Neolithic Sahara and several centuries ago in West, Central and Southern Africa. It continued until the early XXth century in the savannah and the forested regions along the coasts of the Gulf of Guinea, in the Congo and Zambesi basins and until nowadays in the Horn of Africa, in the regions of the Omo Valley and the Jade Sea. In this work, the author sets out to tell its history spanning several millenia. He takes the opportunity to invite himself to the controversy regarding the links and relations between Ancient Egypt and Black Africa, a controversy that has been livening up the world of Egyptologists and historians of Africa for more than a century. Furthermore he sets about breaking down a few generally accepted ideas regarding the actual use of these magnificent objects. The author illustrates his words with an exceptional selection of items chosen from the finest public and private collections
Alternative Title
On the trail of the elephant and that of Abu Ballas : the use of headrests in Africa, from prehistory to the present
Subject
  • Headrests
  • Wood-carving
  • Art objects, African
  • Art objects, Egyptian
  • Africa
Genre/Form
History
Bibliography (note)
  • Includes bibliographical references (pages 294-295)
Language (note)
  • In French and English
ISBN
  • 9782960137552
  • 2960137558
OCLC
  • on1288318759
  • 1288318759
Owning Institutions
Columbia University Libraries