Headrests are used by men and women in many areas of Africa. Headrests are portable and publicly visible objects of prestige. In some places, they can be used as political gifts and as symbols that legitimatize leadership. These items are made from stone, ivory, ceramic and, most commonly, wood. The earliest examples we know of come from ancient Egypt . Headrests are personal objects that serve many purposes. They cradle the neck and support the head like a pillow, they protect elaborate hairstyles and they may aid in dreams, where an individual can communicate with ancestors. The ancient Egyptians and Nubians buried some of their dead with headrests.