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 art-historical 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.

Anitra Nettleton

Preface Acknowledgements Notes on the Use of African Ethnic Names and Country and Place Names References to illustrations in the Text and Notes on Illustrations Chapter 1 Headrests and Art Chapter 2 A Matter of Style, or Why Style Matters Chapter 3 Methodology, Position and Limitations Chapter 4 The Geographical and Chronological Distribution of the Contribution of the Columned Headrest Chapter 5 Authenticity and History Chapter 6 East African Headrests: Identity, Form and Aesthetics Chapter 7 Tracing Histories: Central and Southern African Connections Chapter 8 Not just a Curious Beauty: The Anatomy of Meaning in Useful Objects Notes to Chapters Bibliography List of Illustrations Index