TY - BOOK ID - 29232683 TI - African dream machines : style, identity and meaning of African headrests PY - 2007 SN - 9781868144587 1868144585 9781868147083 1868147088 PB - Johannesburg : Wits University Press DB - UniCat KW - Headrests KW - Wood-carving KW - Whittling KW - Wood-carving, Primitive KW - Wood carvings KW - Wood craft KW - Woodcarving KW - Woodcraft KW - Carving (Decorative arts) KW - Woodwork KW - Wood sculpture KW - Pillows UR - https://www.unicat.be/uniCat?func=search&query=sysid:29232683 AB - African Dream Machines takes African headrests out of the category of functional objects and into the more rarefied category of 'art' objects. Styles in African headrests are usually defined in terms of western art and archaeological discourses, but this book interrogates these definitions of style and demonstrates the shortcomings of defining a single formal style model as exclusive to a single ethnic group. Among the artefacts made by southern African peoples, headrests were the best known. Anitra Nettleton's study of the uses and forms of headrests opened up a number of arthistorical methodologies in the attempt to gain an understanding of form, style and content in African art objects. Her drawings of each and every headrest encountered become a major part of the project. ER -