Zande hair pin
Accession Number:
1886.1.523 .1
Country:
Sudan
Region:
[Southern Sudan]
Cultural Group:
Zande
Date Made:
?On or before 1858
Materials:
Animal Ivory Tooth
Process:
Carved , Polished
Dimensions:
L = 391 mm, W head = 6.3 mm, Th head = 5.5 mm, W body = 5.3 mm, Th body = 5 mm [RTS 27/4/2004].
Weight:
14.4 g
Other Owners:
Obtained by John Petherick in the Sudan in 1858 and shipped back to England in 1859. Acquired by Henry Christy. Acquired by the Ashmolean Museum by exchange from the Trustees of Henry Christy collection in 1869. Transferred to the PRM on 10th February 188
Field Collector:
John Petherick
PRM Source:
Ashmolean Museum
Acquired:
Transferred 10 February 1886
Collected Date:
1858
Description:
Long hair pin carved from a single piece of ivory, consisting of a flattened top and slender body tapering to a point at the other end.
Both head and body are oval in section, and the body is almost straight, compared to the more curved pins in the rest of this group (see 1886.1.523.2-3, 1884.71.10-13).
The ivory is currently a yellowish cream colour (Pantone 7401C), and has been polished.
It is in good condition, both complete and intact.
The pin has a length of 391 mm, and measures 6.3 by 5.5 mm at its head and 5.3 by 5 mm midway down the body, with a weight of 14.4 grams.
Collected by John Petherick, a businessman who lived in Khartoum from 1853 to 1858, mounting several trading expeditions into the Sudanese interior during this period. He entered Zande territory for the first time on 24th February 1858, while on his fifth such expedition, visiting the villages of Mundo, Kangamboo and Baranj. This object was probably collected during this trip, as Petherick did not venture into this region again. His collection was shipped back to England in 1859. This object was subsequently acquired by Henry Christy, probably at the auction of Petherick's collection collection 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). This auction contained a total of 176 ivory hair pins, many of which were said to be Zande. The pin was acquired by the Ashmolean Museum by exchange from the Trustees of Henry Christy collection in 1869, and then transferred to the Pitt Rivers Museum on 10th February 1886.
The use of similar pins by the Zande are described in Petherick's 1861 volume, Egypt, The Sudan and Central Africa, p. 466: “Both men and women wore their hair plaited in thick masses, covering the neck to the shoulders. This they combed out with long ivory pins, from six inches to upwards of a foot in length - one extremity pointed, the other increasing in thickness like a cone, three or four inches of which were carved into pretty patterns, and dyed black with the decoction of a root. When the hair had been arranged, two of the largest of these pins were stuck horizontally through it at the back of the head; between these smaller ones were inserted, forming a semicircle similar to a Spanish lady’s comb”. These pins are also described in J.G. Wood, 1968, The Natural History of Man vol. I, p. 489, while Schweinfurth describes Zande men using hair pins of iron, copper or ivory tipped with various devices to fasten cylindrical straw hats in place (G. Schweinfurth, 1873, The Heart of Africa Volume II, p. 8). For similar pins, see E. Castelli, 1984, Orazio Antinori in Africa Centrale 1859-1861, cat. no. 98, p 72, attributed to the 'Mangbetu, Zande etc' (Museum of Perugia 49650-7). The practice of wearing these pins was still common in the 1920's (P.M. Larken, 1926, "An Account of the Zande", Sudan Notes and Records IX no. 1, p. 32).
For other pins of this type, see 1884.71.10-13 and 1886.1.523.2-3. This example was identified as ivory, not bone, by the conservation department.
The Accession book entry for this object is published in A. MacGregor et al., 2000, Manuscript Catalogues of the Early Museum Collections 1683-1886 (Part I), p. 297, cat. 523.
This object is currently on display in the Lower Gallery, case 121A.
Rachael Sparks 25/9/2005.
Collected by John Petherick, a businessman who lived in Khartoum from 1853 to 1858, mounting several trading expeditions into the Sudanese interior during this period. He entered Zande territory for the first time on 24th February 1858, while on his fifth such expedition, visiting the villages of Mundo, Kangamboo and Baranj. This object was probably collected during this trip, as Petherick did not venture into this region again. His collection was shipped back to England in 1859. This object was subsequently acquired by Henry Christy, probably at the auction of Petherick's collection collection 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). This auction contained a total of 176 ivory hair pins, many of which were said to be Zande. The pin was acquired by the Ashmolean Museum by exchange from the Trustees of Henry Christy collection in 1869, and then transferred to the Pitt Rivers Museum on 10th February 1886.
The use of similar pins by the Zande are described in Petherick's 1861 volume, Egypt, The Sudan and Central Africa, p. 466: “Both men and women wore their hair plaited in thick masses, covering the neck to the shoulders. This they combed out with long ivory pins, from six inches to upwards of a foot in length - one extremity pointed, the other increasing in thickness like a cone, three or four inches of which were carved into pretty patterns, and dyed black with the decoction of a root. When the hair had been arranged, two of the largest of these pins were stuck horizontally through it at the back of the head; between these smaller ones were inserted, forming a semicircle similar to a Spanish lady’s comb”. These pins are also described in J.G. Wood, 1968, The Natural History of Man vol. I, p. 489, while Schweinfurth describes Zande men using hair pins of iron, copper or ivory tipped with various devices to fasten cylindrical straw hats in place (G. Schweinfurth, 1873, The Heart of Africa Volume II, p. 8). For similar pins, see E. Castelli, 1984, Orazio Antinori in Africa Centrale 1859-1861, cat. no. 98, p 72, attributed to the 'Mangbetu, Zande etc' (Museum of Perugia 49650-7). The practice of wearing these pins was still common in the 1920's (P.M. Larken, 1926, "An Account of the Zande", Sudan Notes and Records IX no. 1, p. 32).
For other pins of this type, see 1884.71.10-13 and 1886.1.523.2-3. This example was identified as ivory, not bone, by the conservation department.
The Accession book entry for this object is published in A. MacGregor et al., 2000, Manuscript Catalogues of the Early Museum Collections 1683-1886 (Part I), p. 297, cat. 523.
This object is currently on display in the Lower Gallery, case 121A.
Rachael Sparks 25/9/2005.
Primary Documentation:
Ashmolean Vellum Volume I
[List of Anthropological objects transferred from the Ashmolean to the Pitt Rivers' museum 1886.
Asiatic, African, Esquimaux and American] [group of pages stuck in vellum volume before page 2, page a] - Feb.
10th 1886.
Transferred to Anthrop.
Mus.
2nd Section.
Received the above numbers [list includes 523], H.
N.
Moseley.
[p.
143] -
523.
[One of] Three long ivory hairpins, used by the Negroes of the Neam Nam [sic] tribe, on the Upper Nile E.
Central Africa.
They are simply like [insert] long [end insert] skewers, cylindrical, and somewhat bent [insert] one of them [end insert] 3/10 [insert] inch [end insert] and [insert] the other two [end insert] somewhat less at the top in diameter and gradually decreasing in size to the other [insert] end [end insert] which is pointed.
"When the hair is combed out and arranged, two of the largest pins are stuck through it horizontally, and a number of shorter pins are arranged in a radiating form so as to make a semicircle".
See Wood's "Nat: Hist: of Man" vol: 1 [p.
144] p.
489.
Length 1 foot 3 5/10; 1 foot 1 3/10; and 11 3/10 inches.
(Petherick's collection).
Given in exchange by the Trustees of the Christy collection, 1869.
(See Mr Frank's illustrated list [insert] stuck in this book [end insert] and letter in Ashmolean letter book).
(Not entered in any list of Additions).
Additional entry in Vellum volume I [p. opposite 143] - Trans[ferred] to Anthrop[ological] Mus[eum] Feb. 10th 1886. 523.
Ashmolean Accession book entry - Objects transferred from the Ashmolean Museum to the Pitt Rivers Museum in 1886 or later: 523. Africa, Nyam Nyam, ie Azande. [1 of] Three long ivory hairpins Petherick coll. By ex. Trustees Christy coll., 1869.
Collectors Miscellaneous XI Accession Book entry [p. 193] - PETHERICK, Consul [insert] 1884.1.523.1-3 [end insert] 1 ditto [ivory hair pin] and 2 bone ditto [hair pins]. AZANDE, C. AFRICA. Ashm. Mus. (523) from Trustees of B.M. 1869.
Card Catalogue Entry - AFRICA, NYAM NYAM, i.e., AZANDE, A.M. 523. Three long ivory hairpins [insert] (one ivory & two bone) [end insert], Petherick coll. By exchange Trustees Christy coll. 1869. Transferred from Ashmolean Museum 1886.
? Related Documents File - [Previously in vellum volume I] Only the to have been returned a duplicate [sic]. 1886.1 general: 26 [one of] three ivory hair pins Neam Nam Negroes E. Cent. Africa (Petherick coll).
Written on object - 523 [faint brown ink] AZANDE, C. AFRICA. Petherick coll. From trustees of B.M. 1869. Ashm. Mus. [523]. Transf. 1886 [stronger black ink; RTS 27/4/2004].
Additional entry in Vellum volume I [p. opposite 143] - Trans[ferred] to Anthrop[ological] Mus[eum] Feb. 10th 1886. 523.
Ashmolean Accession book entry - Objects transferred from the Ashmolean Museum to the Pitt Rivers Museum in 1886 or later: 523. Africa, Nyam Nyam, ie Azande. [1 of] Three long ivory hairpins Petherick coll. By ex. Trustees Christy coll., 1869.
Collectors Miscellaneous XI Accession Book entry [p. 193] - PETHERICK, Consul [insert] 1884.1.523.1-3 [end insert] 1 ditto [ivory hair pin] and 2 bone ditto [hair pins]. AZANDE, C. AFRICA. Ashm. Mus. (523) from Trustees of B.M. 1869.
Card Catalogue Entry - AFRICA, NYAM NYAM, i.e., AZANDE, A.M. 523. Three long ivory hairpins [insert] (one ivory & two bone) [end insert], Petherick coll. By exchange Trustees Christy coll. 1869. Transferred from Ashmolean Museum 1886.
? Related Documents File - [Previously in vellum volume I] Only the to have been returned a duplicate [sic]. 1886.1 general: 26 [one of] three ivory hair pins Neam Nam Negroes E. Cent. Africa (Petherick coll).
Written on object - 523 [faint brown ink] AZANDE, C. AFRICA. Petherick coll. From trustees of B.M. 1869. Ashm. Mus. [523]. Transf. 1886 [stronger black ink; RTS 27/4/2004].
Publication History:
The Accession book entry is published in A.
MacGregor et al., 2000, Manuscript Catalogues of the Early Museum Collections 1683-1886 (Part I), p.
297, cat.
523 [RTS 26/1/2004].
