This wooden headrest originates from the Boni people, a small Cushitic-speaking community living primarily in the coastal and forested regions of southern Somalia and northeastern Kenya. Like many pastoral groups in the Horn of Africa, the Boni traditionally used headrests both as practical objects and as personal items that accompanied individuals in daily life.
 
Headrests served multiple purposes: they elevated the head during sleep to protect elaborate hairstyles, kept the user cool in hot climates, and acted as portable furniture that could be easily carried while traveling. The upright post and curved support are typical of headrests from this region, balancing stability with portability.
 
The Boni, historically hunter-gatherers who later adopted aspects of pastoral life from neighboring Somali and Oromo groups, used objects like this headrest not only for function but also as expressions of cultural identity.