Aromatic necklet
Accession Number:
1884.75.26
Country:
?Sudan
Region:
[Southern Sudan?]
Date Made:
?Before 1865
Materials:
Wood Plant , Plant Stem , Plastic Synthetic
Process:
Perforated , Strung
Dimensions:
Max L [as strung, doubled up] = 533 mm Max L [bead] = 12 mm Max W [bead] = 9.6 mm Max Th [bead] = 8.5 mm
Weight:
43.8 g
Other Owners:
Collected in the Sudan by John Petherick in the mid nineteenth century, possibly during his earlier period in the country, sometime between 1853 and 1858. Material from this period was shipped back to England in 1859, and subsequently sold at auction by M
Field Collector:
John Petherick
PRM Source:
Augustus Henry Lane Fox Pitt Rivers founding collection
Acquired:
Donated 1884
Collected Date:
1853 - 1859 or 1861 - 1865
Description:
Modern plastic thread, on which have been strung 89 beads, made from segments of
cyperus
plant.
These have presumably been made from the woody stem of the plant, and have been cut into roughly cylindrical segments with the natural surface left intact, although some projecting twigs appear to have been trimmed off.
These are largely aligned along the axis of the string, although occasional beads hang at right angles to this.
Each bead has been perforated with a narrow hole down the centre.
The surface of the wood is a dark brown colour (Pantone black 4C); a lighter orangey brown colour is visible in areas where the surface has been scratched (Pantone 722C).
The wood is naturally scented, with a strong smell somewhat like sandalwood or vanilla.
The necklace is complete and largely in good condition, although there are a few splits in the beads leading off their thread holes, probably due to rubbing of the plastic cord on which they have been strung; this cord
was added in 1948, and is not original.
The necklace has a length, as strung, of 533 mm.
The beads are of variable size, but an average example is 12 mm long and 9.6 by 8.5 mm wide.
It weighs 43.8 grams.
Collected in the Southern Sudan by John Petherick in the mid nineteenth century, possibly during his earlier period in the country, sometime between 1853 and 1858. Material from this period was shipped back to England in 1859, and subsequently sold at auction by Mr Bullock at High Holborn, London, on 27th June 1962 (see the Catalogue of the very interesting collection of arms and implements of war, husbandry, and the chase, and articles of costume and domestic use, procured during several expeditions up the White Nile, Bahr-il-Gazal, and among the various tribes of the country, to the cannibal Neam Nam territory on the Equator, by John Petherick, Esq., H.M. Consul, Khartoum, Soudan ). This auction contained several necklaces, although the material of these is rarely specified in the auction catalogue. It is also possible that Petherick obtained it during his second period in the Sudan, between 1862 and 1865; the date of the auction of that material is not known, although some items were bought from it by the Royal United Services Institution. Pitt Rivers may have purchased the item at either auction. He sent this object to Bethnal Green Museum for display, probably in 1874. It was later displayed in the South Kensington Museum and transferred from there to become part of the founding collection of the Pitt Rivers Museum in 1884.
Petherick does not comment on the use of scented wood for personal ornaments of this kind, so it is not clear which culture this should be attributed to. For other cyperus sp. necklaces, see 1884.75.27-.28, and also 1942.1.447. Presumably these beads are made from the woody stem or culm of the plant.
Currently on display in the Lower Gallery, case 105C.
Rachael Sparks 25/9/2005.
Collected in the Southern Sudan by John Petherick in the mid nineteenth century, possibly during his earlier period in the country, sometime between 1853 and 1858. Material from this period was shipped back to England in 1859, and subsequently sold at auction by Mr Bullock at High Holborn, London, on 27th June 1962 (see the Catalogue of the very interesting collection of arms and implements of war, husbandry, and the chase, and articles of costume and domestic use, procured during several expeditions up the White Nile, Bahr-il-Gazal, and among the various tribes of the country, to the cannibal Neam Nam territory on the Equator, by John Petherick, Esq., H.M. Consul, Khartoum, Soudan ). This auction contained several necklaces, although the material of these is rarely specified in the auction catalogue. It is also possible that Petherick obtained it during his second period in the Sudan, between 1862 and 1865; the date of the auction of that material is not known, although some items were bought from it by the Royal United Services Institution. Pitt Rivers may have purchased the item at either auction. He sent this object to Bethnal Green Museum for display, probably in 1874. It was later displayed in the South Kensington Museum and transferred from there to become part of the founding collection of the Pitt Rivers Museum in 1884.
Petherick does not comment on the use of scented wood for personal ornaments of this kind, so it is not clear which culture this should be attributed to. For other cyperus sp. necklaces, see 1884.75.27-.28, and also 1942.1.447. Presumably these beads are made from the woody stem or culm of the plant.
Currently on display in the Lower Gallery, case 105C.
Rachael Sparks 25/9/2005.
Primary Documentation:
Accession Book IV entry
[p.
166]
-
[insert] 1884.75 cont.
[end insert]
PERSONAL ORNAMENTS NUTS, SEEDS etc (cont.
) [insert] 26, 27 [end insert] - [1 of] 2 necklets of tubers of
cyperus
strung together.
C.
AFRICA.
Petherick coll.
(1504 black).
Collectors Miscellaneous XI Accession Book entry [p. 193] - PETHERICK, Consul [...] [insert] 1884.75.26, .27 [end insert] 2 necklets of cyperus tubers C[entral] Africa. (P.R. black 1504).
Black book entry [p. 60] - 1504. Rude wood necklace. C. Africa. Obtd by Petherick. [insert] 1884.75.26 + 27 [end insert].
Delivery Catalogue II entry [p. 270] - [insert] 1884.75.26 + 27 [end insert] Necklace of wood. C. Africa. 1504. Case 8, [screen?] 325.
Old Pitt Rivers Museum label - Necklet of tubers of cyperus strung together. C. AFRICA. Petherick coll. P.R. coll (black 1504) [rev] Restrung May 1948 [...].W 1884.75.26 [rectangular metal-edged tag, tied to object; restringing comment in a different hand, with illegible initials; RTS 8/6/2004].
Collectors Miscellaneous XI Accession Book entry [p. 193] - PETHERICK, Consul [...] [insert] 1884.75.26, .27 [end insert] 2 necklets of cyperus tubers C[entral] Africa. (P.R. black 1504).
Black book entry [p. 60] - 1504. Rude wood necklace. C. Africa. Obtd by Petherick. [insert] 1884.75.26 + 27 [end insert].
Delivery Catalogue II entry [p. 270] - [insert] 1884.75.26 + 27 [end insert] Necklace of wood. C. Africa. 1504. Case 8, [screen?] 325.
Old Pitt Rivers Museum label - Necklet of tubers of cyperus strung together. C. AFRICA. Petherick coll. P.R. coll (black 1504) [rev] Restrung May 1948 [...].W 1884.75.26 [rectangular metal-edged tag, tied to object; restringing comment in a different hand, with illegible initials; RTS 8/6/2004].
Display History:
Displayed in Bethnal Green and South Kensington Museums (V&A) [AP]. Pitt Rivers Museum display label [caption] - 9.
CENTRAL AFRICA.
Necklet of tubers of cyperus.
Petherick coll.
P.R.
coll.
(1504 black).
[N.B.
'DCF 2004-2006 What's Upstairs?' 8/6/2005]
