Antique Qua Terracotta Headrest – Calabar Region, Nigeria – RARE ITEM

Terracotta. Cm. 18,0 high x cm. 17,7 width x 12,5 dept (7.09“x 6.97″x4.92″); grams 2.018,0 (4.45 lb.).

This headrest, originates from Eastern Nigeria, is finely engraved with geometric motifs. The function of the opening remains a mystery, perhaps the headrest was also a container to store personal trinkets or hold sleep-enhancing herbs or other substances.

During the 20th century many terracotta objects from this culture were discovered during residential construction works and road building in the city of Calabar and its surroundings. Thermoluminescence dating of similar headrests have assigned them to the 10th-11th centuries.

While wooden headrests are very well known across many African cultures, these examples are the only known made from terracotta. The city of Calabar overlooks the Calabar River near its junction with the Cross River, a major waterway that has long been an important conduit for cultural exchange in the region of eastern Nigerian and Western Cameroon. Calabar is home to three major ethnic groups: the Efik, Qua, and Efut, who are in turn each closely related to other cultures located throughout the region, from the Ibibio and Oron in the south to the Ejagham in the North.

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