Nuer lactation device

Nuer lactation device
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Accession Number:
1937.34.48
Country:
Sudan
Region:
[Southern Sudan]
Cultural Group:
Nuer
Date Made:
By 1936
Materials:
Cattle Skin Animal , Reed Plant , Grass Fibre Plant
Process:
Perforated , Stuffed , Plaited , Knotted
Dimensions:
L = 250, W = 96.5, th = 89.4; cord W = 7.5, th = 4 mm [RTS 30/6/2005].
Weight:
300.3 g
Local Name:
gea doa
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:
Device used for inducing a cow that has lost its calf to lactate. This consists of the yellowish skin from the head of a calf (Pantone 7508C), removed from the carcass and stuffed with narrow strips of cut reed that had been gathered into a bundle and tied up with lengths of plaited grass cord; these reeds extend well beyond the top of the head, and have a pinkish brown exterior surface (Pantone 4725C). The skin edges were perforated with a series of long slits, and another length of plaited grass cord threaded through these to pull the sides together. This cord, which is a dark yellow colour (Pantone 7509C), was then wrapped twice around the projecting reed ends at the top of the object, through 2 more holes in the top edge of the skin, and then knotted together, to form a suspension loop, with a double handle at the top. The device is complete, although some of the cord has lost its cohesion; there are a few flecks of green paint on the ends of the reed stuffing. It has a weight of 300.3 grams and is 250 mm long, 96.5 mm wide and 89.4 mm thick. The grass cord is 7.5 mm wide and 4 mm thick.

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 device has the Nuer name
gea doa, and is used by them when a calf dies, to persuade its mother to continue lactating. The calf's head is removed, stuffed with straw, then has some of its mother's urine rubbed on it (E.E. Evans-Pritchard, 1940, The Nuer, p. 34). In this particular example, the stuffing is made of a group of cut reeds, rather than straw.

It is published in E.E. Evans-Pritchard, 1940,
The Nuer, p. 34, fig. 5, and mentioned by Blackman in his B. Litt. Thesis (A.A. Blackman, 1956, The Material Culture of the Nilotic Tribes of East Africa, p. 27).

Rachael Sparks 18/9/2005.

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] 48 [ink] - Gea doa , skin of a calf’s head, roughly stuffed with reeds, for inducing a cow to lactate.
Additional Accession Book Entry [p. 41] 1937.34.48 number given - LW. [in red biro above accession number on p. 41] A4-F11-33.

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

Pitt Rivers Museum label - SUDAN NUER. Skin of calf's head, to induce cow's lactation. Don. by Evans-Pritchard 1937.34.48 [plastic label with metal eyelet, tied to object; RTS 30/6/2005].


Publication History:
Illustrated and discussed by E.E. Evans-Pritchard, 1940, The Nuer, p. 34, figure 5, and mentioned by Blackman in his B. Litt. Thesis (A.A. Blackman, 1956, The Material Culture of the Nilotic Tribes of East Africa, p. 27) [RTS 30/6/2005].

 
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