Bongo necklet
Other views of this artifact:
Accession Number:
1884.78.44
Country:
Sudan
Region:
[Southern Sudan]
Cultural Group:
Bongo
Date Made:
?Before 1858
Materials:
Iron Metal
Process:
Forged (Metal) , Hammered , Polished
Dimensions:
Max L = 102.6 mm Max W = 120.5 mm Max Diam = 3.2 mm
Weight:
22.4 g
Other Owners:
Collected by John Petherick in 1858 and shipped back to England in 1859. Subsequently acquired by Pitt Rivers, perhaps via auction, as Petherick is known to have sold some of his collection through Mr Bullock of High Holborn, London, on 27th June 1862 (se
Field Collector:
John Petherick
PRM Source:
Augustus Henry Lane Fox Pitt Rivers founding collection
Acquired:
Donated 1884
Collected Date:
1858
Description:
Penannular torque or neck ornament made from a thin iron rod, round in section, bent into an oval loop with the ends hammered flat and bent back upon themselves to form small loops; these ends are 17 mm apart.
The object is complete and intact, and currently a metallic gray colour (Pantone 420C).
It measures 120.5 mm across its width on the outside edge, 102.6 mm across the outside length and 114 mm across the inside edge, while the rod from which this has been made has a diameter of 3.2 mm and a weight of 22.4 grams.
This object is said to have been collected in 1858; in that year Petherick led a trading expedition through Bongo territory, an account of which is given in his 1861 volume, Egypt, The Sudan and Central Africa; he refers to this group as the Dor. The expedition entered Bongo territory on January 25, 1858, visiting villages called Djau, Kurkur, Maeha, Mura, Umbura, Modocunga, Miha, Nearhe, Gutu, Mungela, Ombelambe and Lungo. Later in February they passed back through the Bongo villages of Djamaga and Lungo again. T his material was shipped back to England in 1859. It was subsequently acquired by Pitt Rivers, perhaps via auction, as Petherick is known to have sold some of his collection through Mr Bullock of High Holborn, London, on 27th June 1862 (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 included a number of Nilotic neck ornaments. Pitt Rivers sent this object to Bethnal Green Museum for display, as part of the first batch of objects sent there, probably in 1874. This object 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.
Although Petherick does talk about the personal ornaments worn by the Bongo, he does not mention their use of iron necklaces.
Rachael Sparks 30/9/2005.
This object is said to have been collected in 1858; in that year Petherick led a trading expedition through Bongo territory, an account of which is given in his 1861 volume, Egypt, The Sudan and Central Africa; he refers to this group as the Dor. The expedition entered Bongo territory on January 25, 1858, visiting villages called Djau, Kurkur, Maeha, Mura, Umbura, Modocunga, Miha, Nearhe, Gutu, Mungela, Ombelambe and Lungo. Later in February they passed back through the Bongo villages of Djamaga and Lungo again. T his material was shipped back to England in 1859. It was subsequently acquired by Pitt Rivers, perhaps via auction, as Petherick is known to have sold some of his collection through Mr Bullock of High Holborn, London, on 27th June 1862 (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 included a number of Nilotic neck ornaments. Pitt Rivers sent this object to Bethnal Green Museum for display, as part of the first batch of objects sent there, probably in 1874. This object 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.
Although Petherick does talk about the personal ornaments worn by the Bongo, he does not mention their use of iron necklaces.
Rachael Sparks 30/9/2005.
Primary Documentation:
Accession Book IV entry
[p.
171] - [insert] 1884.78 [end insert]
PERSONAL ORNAMENTS.
TORQUES RINGS, BRACELETS
[insert] 43, 44 [end insert] - 103/1621 [1 of] 2 iron torques with back-turned ends.
DOR tribe.
E.C.
AFRICA.
Petherick coll.
1858.
Collectors Miscellaneous XI Accession Book entry [p. 193] - PETHERICK, Consul [...] [insert] 1884.78.43, .44 [end insert] 2 iron torques with turned back end, DOR Tribe, E[ast] C[entral] Africa. P.R. 103 - 1621. [p. 197] [insert] BONGO is tribe's name for itself. They are called DOR by neighbours [end insert, by BB].
Black book entry [p. 67] - 1621. Iron anklets (10) and bracelets. Dor tribe, C. Africa. Obtd by Petherick p. 110. [insert] 1884.78.43 + 44, 82.1, 2, 34-42, 53, ?32 [end insert]. [Note that while this makes a total of 15 items, of these, 1884.82.1-2 are actually Indian and do not belong in this group, while 1884.82.34 belongs with group PR 106/1619; the remaining 12 objects consist of 2 torques and 10 bracelets; RTS 4/12/2003].
Delivery Catalogue II entry [p. 300] - Personal Ornaments of various Nations [p. 305] [insert] 1884.78.43-4, 82.32, 35-42, 53 [end insert] 10 iron anklets and bracelets (Dor tribe Central Africa) 1621, Case 74, 345. [Note that there are 12 objects cross referenced to this entry, not 10; RTS 2/4/2004].
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the catalogue card [RTS 7/4/2004].
Written on object - DOR T[RIBE CENTRAL] AFRICA [There are faint traces of red paint on the surface where the object was originally labelled; these are all but illegible; RTS 5/4/2004].
Old Pitt Rivers Museum label - Iron torque with ends turned back. DOR tribe. E. CENT. AFRICA. E Petherick coll. 1858. P.R. coll. 103-1621 [rev] 1884.78.44 [tied to object; RTS 5/4/2004].
Collectors Miscellaneous XI Accession Book entry [p. 193] - PETHERICK, Consul [...] [insert] 1884.78.43, .44 [end insert] 2 iron torques with turned back end, DOR Tribe, E[ast] C[entral] Africa. P.R. 103 - 1621. [p. 197] [insert] BONGO is tribe's name for itself. They are called DOR by neighbours [end insert, by BB].
Black book entry [p. 67] - 1621. Iron anklets (10) and bracelets. Dor tribe, C. Africa. Obtd by Petherick p. 110. [insert] 1884.78.43 + 44, 82.1, 2, 34-42, 53, ?32 [end insert]. [Note that while this makes a total of 15 items, of these, 1884.82.1-2 are actually Indian and do not belong in this group, while 1884.82.34 belongs with group PR 106/1619; the remaining 12 objects consist of 2 torques and 10 bracelets; RTS 4/12/2003].
Delivery Catalogue II entry [p. 300] - Personal Ornaments of various Nations [p. 305] [insert] 1884.78.43-4, 82.32, 35-42, 53 [end insert] 10 iron anklets and bracelets (Dor tribe Central Africa) 1621, Case 74, 345. [Note that there are 12 objects cross referenced to this entry, not 10; RTS 2/4/2004].
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the catalogue card [RTS 7/4/2004].
Written on object - DOR T[RIBE CENTRAL] AFRICA [There are faint traces of red paint on the surface where the object was originally labelled; these are all but illegible; RTS 5/4/2004].
Old Pitt Rivers Museum label - Iron torque with ends turned back. DOR tribe. E. CENT. AFRICA. E Petherick coll. 1858. P.R. coll. 103-1621 [rev] 1884.78.44 [tied to object; RTS 5/4/2004].
Display History:
Displayed in Bethnal Green and South Kensington Museums (V&A) [AP]. Former display label - 2 iron torques with ends turned back.
DOR tribe, E.C.
AFRICA.
Petherick coll...
1858, P.R.
Coll...
(103/1621) 14 [rectangular label, stored in RDF; RTS 5/4/2004].
