Arm ornament, Bongo?
Other views of this artifact:
Accession Number:
1884.78.94
Country:
Sudan
Region:
[Southern Sudan]
Cultural Group:
?Bongo
Date Made:
?Before 1865
Materials:
Iron Metal
Process:
Forged (Metal) , Hammered , Polished
Dimensions:
L = 94 mm, W = 84.5 mm, W rod = 6.5 mm, Th rod = 6 mm [RTS 5/4/2004].
Weight:
67.3 g
Other Owners:
Collected in Sudan by John Petherick, sometime between 1853 and 1859, or 1861 to 1865. Subsequently acquired by Pitt Rivers by 1868, perhaps via auction, as Petherick is known to have sold some of his collection through Mr Bullock of High Holborn, London
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:
Penannular arm ornament made from an iron rod, round in section, bent into a loop with open ends, 14 mm apart.
The upper surface has been slightly flattened in places, one end has been roughly cut, the other end has tool marks evident, and the surfaces have been polished.
The object is complete and intact, and currently a metallic gray colour (Pantone 421C).
It measures 94 by 84.5 mm across the outside edges, 80 mm across the inside edge, and the rod from which it has been made has a width of 6.5, a thickness of 6 mm, and a weight of 67.3 grams.
John Petherick led three separate trading expeditions that passed through Bongo territory between 1856 and 1858; this material was shipped back to England in 1859. See Petherick 1861, Egypt, The Sudan and Central Africa for more details. Material from this period was sold at an auction conducted by 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 ). If the attribution to the Bongo is correct, this is the most likely collection period for this object. Otherwise, it could have been obtained later, during his second visit to the region, between 1861 and 1865. This material was sold at a later auction. After acquiring the object, Pitt Rivers sent it 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.
In Egypt, The Sudan and Central Africa , 1861, p. 401, Petherick describes Bongo women as wearing numerous iron bracelets on their wrists. See also J.G. Wood, 1868, The Natural History of Man Vol. I, p. 499. “On their wrists they wear bracelets, made simply of iron bars cut to the proper length, and bent round the wrist.”
Rachael Sparks 30/9/2005.
John Petherick led three separate trading expeditions that passed through Bongo territory between 1856 and 1858; this material was shipped back to England in 1859. See Petherick 1861, Egypt, The Sudan and Central Africa for more details. Material from this period was sold at an auction conducted by 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 ). If the attribution to the Bongo is correct, this is the most likely collection period for this object. Otherwise, it could have been obtained later, during his second visit to the region, between 1861 and 1865. This material was sold at a later auction. After acquiring the object, Pitt Rivers sent it 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.
In Egypt, The Sudan and Central Africa , 1861, p. 401, Petherick describes Bongo women as wearing numerous iron bracelets on their wrists. See also J.G. Wood, 1868, The Natural History of Man Vol. I, p. 499. “On their wrists they wear bracelets, made simply of iron bars cut to the proper length, and bent round the wrist.”
Rachael Sparks 30/9/2005.
Primary Documentation:
Accession Book IV entry
[p.
172] [insert] 1884.78 [end insert] PERSONAL ORNAMENTS PENNANULAR RINGS ARMLETS ETC [insert] 93, 94 [end insert]
-
106/1619 - [1 of] 2 armlets of native iron.
(?DOR) [insert] E.S.T[homas] [end insert] E.C.
AFRICA.
Petherick coll.
Collectors Miscellaneous XI Accession Book entry [p. 193] - PETHERICK, Consul [...] [insert] 1884.78.93-.94 [end insert] (Penan[nular] rings). 2 native iron armlets E[ast] C[entral] Africa (?Dor tribe, Shilluk or Dinka) P.R. 106, 1619.
Black book entry [p. 67] - 1619. Bracelets (12), iron. Dinka & Schillook tribes, C. Africa. One a warrior's sharp edged iron bracelet. Djibba tribe, Africa [see 1884.82.23]. p. 110. [insert] 1884.78.93, 94, 95; 1884.82.23-28, 34 + 1884.82.43, 44 [end insert]. [Note that 1884.82.28 is actually PR 104 and does not belong to this group, while there is an additional object not listed here that should be added (to be accessioned), RTS 2/4/2004].
Added Black book entry [p. 67a] - Iron and bronze penannular knob ended bracelets Indian in form are found in Africa having been made and introduced for trade purposes by Birmingham firms.
Delivery Catalogue II entry [p. 300] - Personal Ornaments of various Nations [p. 306] [insert] 1884,78.93-95, 82.23-29, 34, 43-4 [end insert] 12 iron bracelets (Central Africa), 1619, Case 74, 345. [Note that while 12 bracelets are described, cross references are given to 13 objects. Of these, 1884.78.28 is marked with PR reference 104, and 1884.78.29 is PR 95/8386, meaning both should be omitted from the group, while there is an additional object marked with PR 106/1619 that should be added to it (this still needs to be accessioned). This makes a total of 12 items actually belonging to this group; RTS 2/4/2004].
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the catalogue card [RTS 6/4/2004].
Old Pitt Rivers Museum label - Penannular iron armlet, E. CENT. AFRICA & Petherick coll. P.R. coll. 106-1619. DINKA, SHILLUK OR DOR [tied to object, RTS 1/4/2004] [reverse: DINKA, SHILLUK or DOR. 1884.78.94 [EC 'DCF 2004-2006 What's Upstairs?' 21/10/2005]
Written on object - 106 1619 [very faint, almost illegible] CENTRAL AFRICA, PETHERICK [RTS 1/4/2004].
Collectors Miscellaneous XI Accession Book entry [p. 193] - PETHERICK, Consul [...] [insert] 1884.78.93-.94 [end insert] (Penan[nular] rings). 2 native iron armlets E[ast] C[entral] Africa (?Dor tribe, Shilluk or Dinka) P.R. 106, 1619.
Black book entry [p. 67] - 1619. Bracelets (12), iron. Dinka & Schillook tribes, C. Africa. One a warrior's sharp edged iron bracelet. Djibba tribe, Africa [see 1884.82.23]. p. 110. [insert] 1884.78.93, 94, 95; 1884.82.23-28, 34 + 1884.82.43, 44 [end insert]. [Note that 1884.82.28 is actually PR 104 and does not belong to this group, while there is an additional object not listed here that should be added (to be accessioned), RTS 2/4/2004].
Added Black book entry [p. 67a] - Iron and bronze penannular knob ended bracelets Indian in form are found in Africa having been made and introduced for trade purposes by Birmingham firms.
Delivery Catalogue II entry [p. 300] - Personal Ornaments of various Nations [p. 306] [insert] 1884,78.93-95, 82.23-29, 34, 43-4 [end insert] 12 iron bracelets (Central Africa), 1619, Case 74, 345. [Note that while 12 bracelets are described, cross references are given to 13 objects. Of these, 1884.78.28 is marked with PR reference 104, and 1884.78.29 is PR 95/8386, meaning both should be omitted from the group, while there is an additional object marked with PR 106/1619 that should be added to it (this still needs to be accessioned). This makes a total of 12 items actually belonging to this group; RTS 2/4/2004].
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the catalogue card [RTS 6/4/2004].
Old Pitt Rivers Museum label - Penannular iron armlet, E. CENT. AFRICA & Petherick coll. P.R. coll. 106-1619. DINKA, SHILLUK OR DOR [tied to object, RTS 1/4/2004] [reverse: DINKA, SHILLUK or DOR. 1884.78.94 [EC 'DCF 2004-2006 What's Upstairs?' 21/10/2005]
Written on object - 106 1619 [very faint, almost illegible] CENTRAL AFRICA, PETHERICK [RTS 1/4/2004].
Display History:
Displayed in Bethnal Green and South Kensington Museums (V&A) [AP].
