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Headrest
Artist / Origin: Shona artist, Zimbabwe
Region: Africa
Date: 19th–20th century
Period: 1900 CE – 2010 CE
Material: Wood
Medium: Sculpture
Dimensions: H: 5 in. (12.7 cm)
Location: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit: Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of Dr. James J. Strain
“Sisilia Sii–Weaver”
Artist / Origin: Flores Island, Indonesia
Region: Oceania
Date: 20th century
Period: 1900 CE – 2010 CE
Material: Video still
Medium: Textiles and Fiber Arts
Credit: Courtesy of the Fowler Museum at UCLA
Across the world, many cultures hold the belief that artistic creation can influence or be influenced by one’s dreams. Sometimes, as in the Flores Island culture to which Sisilia Sii belongs, patterns or ideas for art are believed to be communicated to a sleeper in his or her dreams, often by an ancestor. In other cases, as with the Shona, an object like a headrest can act as a conduit for communicating with the spirit world through dreams.