Nuer tobacco pouch
Other views of this artifact:
Accession Number:
1937.34.69
Country:
Sudan
Region:
[Southern Sudan]
Cultural Group:
Nuer
Date Made:
By 1936
Materials:
Goat Skin Animal , Grass Fibre Plant
Process:
Twisted , Stitched , Tied , Knotted
Dimensions:
L = 455 mm, Max W body = 124 mm, W handles = 15 mm, W cord = 2 mm [RTS 30/9/2004].
Weight:
50.5 g
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:
Tobacco pouch made out of a nearly complete animal skin, the outer face of which is covered with black hair (Pantone 419C), mixed with bands of lighter reddish brown hair along sides, back and forelegs (Pantone 470C), and a few spots of cream coloured hair (Pantone 7506C).
The skin has probably come from a very young goat kid, and has been removed from the carcass almost intact, forming a narrow cylindrical container, with the head as its base, the front legs hanging down from one side, and the back end cut into two narrow strips that are tied together in a knot above the mouth opening.
The head still has two long narrow ears in place on either side, while its muzzle has been compressed to form a hard cylindrical tab that extends from the bottom of the pouch and has been sewn and tied closed with a short length of twisted grass cord.
This is a yellow colour (Pantone 7508C), and has been formed from two strands twisted together.
The object is complete, but patches of the surface hair have worn away; it has been flattened along its length.
The interior still contains a scent of tobacco.
The pouch has a weight of 50.5 grams and is 455 mm long, with a maximum width of 124 mm at its base and handles approximately 15 mm wide near their tops; the cord has a width of 2 mm.
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 pouch is made of kid skin, and was used for holding tobacco and other items.
Rachael Sparks 25/9/2005.
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 pouch is made of kid skin, and was used for holding tobacco and other items.
Rachael Sparks 25/9/2005.
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.
41, pencil] 69 [ink]
- Skin of a kid, for holding tobacco, etc.
Old Pitt Rivers Museum label - Skin-bag for tobacco etc. NUER, A.-E. SUDAN, d.d. E. Evans-Pritchard, 1937 [rectangular metal-edged tag, tied to object, RTS 24/9/2004].
Old Pitt Rivers Museum label - Skin-bag for tobacco etc. NUER, A.-E. SUDAN, d.d. E. Evans-Pritchard, 1937 [rectangular metal-edged tag, tied to object, RTS 24/9/2004].
