Nuer shield

Nuer shield
Other views of this artifact:


Accession Number:
1937.34.44
Country:
Sudan
Region:
[Southern Sudan]
Cultural Group:
Nuer
Date Made:
By 1936
Materials:
Wood Plant , Animal Hide Skin
Process:
Carved , Hollowed , Bound , Perforated
Dimensions:
L = 430, W = 110, th = 87 mm; L hide band = 149 mm, handgrip W = 44 mm [RTS 10/1/2005].
Weight:
262.0 g
Local Name:
ghur
Other Owners:
Collected by Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard during his last period of fieldwork amongst the Nuer between October and November 1936, where he worked amongst the Nuer Leek in the area west of the Nile [RTS 6/7/2004].
Field Collector:
Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard
PRM Source:
Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard
Acquired:
Donated 1937
Collected Date:
October to November 1936
Description:
Short parrying shield consisting of a body carved out from a single piece of soft, lightweight ambatch wood, cylindrical in shape and tapering to rounded ends. This is a pale yellowish brown colour (Pantone 467C). There is a shallow circular depression near one end, whose function is unknown. The centre of the body has been carved out to form a hand grip. The grip itself has a convex inner face, where the fingers fit around it; the inside surface opposite this is concave, giving space for the knuckles. 2 narrow recesses have been hollowed out on either side of this, approximately 72 and 100 mm in length, which were used as storage compartments. These recesses are currently stuffed with cotton wadding on one side, and a mix of cotton and straw on the other, that probably represent packing materials used when transporting the shield, either from Africa, or to the PRM, rather than any materials stored there by the original Nuer owner. There are some cuts around the circumference of the body; one of these is quite deep and follows the edge of a band of animal hide that has been fitted over the grip area, suggesting that it may have been some kind of guide for this. This hide band consists of a large sheath, with no visible seams, that fits around the central part of the shield. 2 large oval holes have been cut into it on either side, to allow a hand to be fitted through the handle. It has been pierced twice near one edge, and the holes pulled slightly out of shape, suggesting that a carrying loop was once attached at this point. The hide is a dark brown colour (Pantone 411C), with traces of buff hair preserved in patches across its surface (Pantone 7401C). The shield is complete, but there is some damage to the surface, and the wood has split near the handle area. There are a few circular depressions bored into the wood on either side of the hide sheath; it is not clear whether these are man-made or the result of insect activity. The shield has a weight of 262 grams. It is 430 mm long, 110 mm wide and 87 mm thick; the hide sheath is 149 mm long, and the handle grip is 44 mm wide.

Collected by Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard during his last period of fieldwork amongst the Nuer between October and November 1936, where he worked amongst the Nuer Leek in the area west of the Nile (see E.E. Evans-Pritchard, 1940,
The Nuer ).

This object was used as a parrying shield, while the hollowed out cavities could be used to store tobacco and other objects. It is known locally as
ghur, and can be compared with another Nuer example collected by Powell-Cotton, 1934.8.31, which lacks the hide covering. Similar shields are also known from the Dinka and Shilluk, where they are said to also serve as headrests and stools: see 1932.30.4 (Rueng Dinka), and 1979.20.80 (Dinka Tuich).

This example is made from ambatch wood (
Aeschynomene sp . ), a type of leguminous shrub found through many parts of Africa, including the Sudan, growing in river shallows to a height of 4 to 6 metres. This wood is light and spongy, making it ideal for this type of object (source: http://www.probertencyclopaedia.com/B1AB.HTM).

Domville Fife talks about this type of object in his discussions on the Nuer: "... the tobacco pouch, which consists of a piece of ambatch wood, about 3 feet in length, with a diameter of 5 inches. This is hollowed out to contain the smoking requisites, and also has a large hole about midway down to allow of it being gripped by the hand and used as a shield. The same hole is so shaped as to fit the neck of its owner, and is used as a pillow for sleeping purposes" (C.W. Domville Fife, 1927, Savage Life in the Black Sudan, p. 161).

Rachael Sparks 23/08/2005.

Primary Documentation:
Accession Book Entry [p. 38, pencil in left column] 34 [ink] E.E. EVANS-PRITCHARD , M.A., Exeter College. Specimens collected by himself in the EASTERN SUDAN, vis: [addition in different pen] (Coll. in 1936) [p. 42] - From the NUER tribe, A[NGLO]-E[GYPTIAN]. SUDAN, viz: [pencil] 44 [ink] - Ghur , short parrying-shield of ambatch, with pockets for tobacco & trifles.
Additional Accession Book Entry [p. 41] - 1937.34.44 No given AP l = [not completed].

Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the tribes catalogue card [RTS 23/7/2004].

Old Pitt Rivers Museum label - Ambatch parrying shield, with pockets. Ghur . NUER, A.-E. SUDAN. d.d. E. Evans-Pritchard 1937 [rectangular label stuck to surface of object; RTS 10/1/2005].



 
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