The pair of firmly pointed, conical breasts, centrally positioned in a horizontal oval and supported by two upright columns, is brazenly engaging, and undoubtedly the most striking feature of this remarkable piece. Their presence validates the hypothesis that some headrests are mnemonics for the female body. A similarly breasted headrest in the British Museum was carved without lugs and with a deep V centrally located at its base. It is said to come from Mashonaland in Zimbabwe. However, the collector is not known, and the donor was a London antique dealer who had never traveled to the region, so this provenance cannot be taken as certain.

This headrest, besides its overt female characteristics, has a flat, even, lozenge-shaped base without chamfering or a raised pubic triangle. Its sleeping platform is rectangular and curves gently upwards towards either end. From both these ends, the classic Tsonga ‘lugs’ or ears project downwards. Apart from the pert breasts, which are the focus of attention, the other surfaces are austere and undecorated.

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