Origin: This type of headrest is often misidentified as Boni. The Boni, or Aweer, are a small ethnic group- too small to equate with the large number of headrests of this type that we find in circulation. Additionally, the Aweer were not herdsmen, they were hunter gathers- a lifestyle at odds with the need for headrests. Indeed, there are many vintage field images showing these headrests in the hands of Somali herders and none showing an Aweer hunter holding one.
