headrest

On loan from Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Gift of the New Zealand Government.

This wooden head pillow, or kali, from Tonga is highly decorated. It is inlaid with 57 pieces of whale tooth. Unfortunately, two of the legs are broken.

Headrests or neckrests are used by many Pacific people for resting and sleeping, instead of soft pillows. Some claim they help to protect elaborate hair styles but they are also cooler for humid tropical climates. Men use headrests more than women. The amount of decoration is related to the social status of their owners.

Tongan

Unknown

wood/plant material

whale/sea mammal/mammal/tooth/bone

457.2 x 177.8 x 127mm

457mm

177mm

127mm

Made of three pieces of wood - headpiece and two pairs of arching legs bound together with sennit. The ivory inlaid on the headpiece of the kali include circles, triangles and crescents.

Source: 'The Art of Tonga Ko e Ngaahi ‘Aati 'o Tonga' by Keith St Cartmail, pg. 55.

Headrest

Bedding

02 Furnishings

Headrest

Bedding

Furnishings

29 Sep 2026