Dinka Tuich mallet

Other views of this artifact:

Accession Number:

1979.20.131

Country:

Sudan

Region:

[Southern Sudan] Northern Bahr el Ghazal ?Dhangrial ?Wun Rog ?Mayen

Cultural Group:

Dinka Tuich

Date Made:

By 1979

Materials:

Wood Plant

Process:

Carved , Polished

Dimensions:

Total L = 420, L handle = 363 Handle max W = 33.5, max th = 31.2, base W = 15.5, base th = 14.8, head L = 119.3, W = 65.5, th = 31.2 mm [RTS 24/11/2004].

Weight:

624.1 g

Other Owners:

Collected by Patti Langton between 17th and 26th February 1979, as part of the British Institute in East Africa's expedition to the southern Sudan [RTS 1/6/2004].

Field Collector:

Patti Langton

PRM Source:

Patti Langton

Acquired:

Purchased 1979

Collected Date:

17 - 26 February 1979

Description:

Club or mallet carved from a single piece of brown wood (Pantone 730C), and consisting of an everted head with flat upper surface, thick, slightly convex sides and flat underside, oval in plan view. The handle extends from the centre of the underside and appears to have been carved from the same piece of wood; this varies from oval to more circular in section. The upper part flares out slightly to a carination, perhaps imitating the segmentation seen in woods such as bamboo, before tapering in to form a narrow handle with small rounded base. There is some polish to the upper surface of the head, while its sides are largely matt; however the lower surface, and most of the handle have been polished to a very glossy finish, darkening the surface colour, perhaps as a result of carrying or holding the object. Overall the handle has a slight curvature in relation to the head. It is nearly complete; a narrow wedge-shaped sliver of wood has been lost from the side of the head, there are a few small chips lost from the sides, and the whole surface has been broken up by a series of cracks in the wood, mostly running vertically down the sides and probably the result of impact stress. There is also a long crack in the wood halfway down the handle, and a section along one side of the lower shaft where a section of the surface has been lost, along with some more minor cracking at the base. The club weighs 624.1 grams, and has a total length of 420 mm; the handle is 363 mm long, has a maximum width of 33.5 mm and thickness of 31.2 mm, at the carination, while its base measures by 14.8 by 15.5 mm across. The head is 119.3 mm long, 112.3 mm wide and 65.5 mm thick.

Collected by Patti Langton between 17th and 26th February 1979 as part of the British Institute in East Africa's expedition to the southern Sudan. The place of collection was not specified, but would have been either Dhangrial, Wun Rog or Mayen, all of which like in the modern administrative district of Northern Bahr el Ghazal. For a map showing the distribution of Dinka Tuich groups, see J. Ryle, 1982, Warriors of the White Nile: The Dinka , p. 25.

Langton did not record the Dinka name for this type of object.

Currently on display in the Upper Gallery, Case 26A.

Rachael Sparks 25/9/2005.

Primary Documentation:

Accession Book Entry [p. 185] - 1979.20 (.1 - 206) P[urchase] MISS PATTI LANGTON, DEPT. of ETHNOLOGY & PREHISTORY, OXFORD. Collection made by Patti Langton during the British Institute in East Africa's expedition to the Southern Sudan; Jan. - April 1979. The collection was made in three culture areas during the dry season. The amount paid for each object is listed if the information is known. In Jan. 1979 £1 is equivalent to 95 piastres (pt.) Sudanese. This documentation is based largely upon Patti's own list of objects and her notes on these. Sometimes objects included in the Pitt Rivers alottment of the collection do not appear on her list and have been added here. See Related Documents file as well. [p. 191] 1979.20.43-135 SOUTHERN SUDAN the DINKA TUICH. The Dinka Tuich, a pastoral people, live to the north of Wau, in Bahr el Ghazal province. This collection was made mostly at Dhangrial, the archaeological site at which we camped. Other artifacts were collected either at Wun Rog, a small town about a mile south of Dhangrial, or at Mayen, the new administrative centre 12 miles north. This was a remote area, difficult of access and rarely visited by outsiders. The Dinka are very aware of the potential of money, which is used either to help family members acquire education or entry into commerce and administration in Juba or Khartoum. Once it was known we (the collectors) were offering money, the Dinka in surrounding compounds came daily, increasing prices as often as they could! [p. 204] 1979.20.131 Wooden club or mallet, carved in one piece with large head. L. = 43 cm., Diam. head = 10 cm. Not on list.
Additional Accession Book Entry [below accession number in red biro] - A5-F34-13.

Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the catalogue card [RTS 3/3/2004].

Related Documents File - 1979.20 contains a typed packing list, which has been annotated; a typed list of objects arranged by Langton collection numbers and with pencil and biro annotations, and a handwritten list of objects by museum number, essentially repeating this information and annotated with PRM photo numbers in red. This handwritten list seems to be the direct source for the accession book entry [RTS 12/1/2004].

Written on object - S. SUDAN DINKA, P. Langton coll. 1979.20.131 [RTS 24/11/2004].