Northern Larim stool
Other views of this artifact:
Accession Number:
1979.20.161
Country:
Sudan
Region:
[Southern Sudan] Eastern Equatoria Napongayit
Cultural Group:
Northern Larim
Date Made:
By 1979
Materials:
Wood Plant
Process:
Carved , Burnt , Polished
Dimensions:
Total L = 525, Ht = 180, seat L = 405, W = 40.5, th = 34 mm; diam legs = 26, 23 and 22.2 mm [RTS 17/3/2005].
Weight:
611.5 g
Local Name:
taba
Other Owners:
Exchanged at Napongayit by Patti Langton for a cotton shirt during the British Institute in East Africa's expedition to the Southern Sudan on the 24th March 1979.
Field Collector:
Patti Langton
PRM Source:
Patti Langton
Acquired:
Purchased 1979
Collected Date:
24 March 1979
Description:
Three legged stool of the type used by men, and sometimes older women, as was the case with this example.
This has been carved from a tree branch whose shape, with 3 subsidiary branches coming off a central limb, is naturally suited for the intended purpose - an example of 'found form'.
The bark has been stripped off the surface, and some smaller branches trimmed off, leaving a few knots protruding slightly from the orangey brown wood (Pantone 7510C).
Burn marks suggest the trimming was done using fire.
The larger, main branch forms the a narrow rectangular seat across the top; the upper part has been flattened while the underside remains convex.
This has been cut flat at either end, one of which tapers slightly.
There may be a zoomorphic element in this design.
The surface has been smoothed and polished.
3 legs extend out from the underside of the seat, with flat cut bases that tend to rest on the side of the foot, rather than flat on the ground.
2 legs are positioned at the broader end of the stool, splaying out in opposite directions; the third leg is angled out from the back.
The object is complete, but has a scar down one side of the front leg that seems to represent a characteristic of the original branch rather than later damage.
There is also some insect damage in this area, and a few minor cracks near the end of the seat, while the base of the feet show use-wear on some parts of the surface.
The stool has a weight of 611.5 grams, has a total length of 525 mm and is 180 mm high, while the seat is 405 mm long, 40.5 mm wide and 34 mm thick, while the legs have diameters of 26 mm, 23 mm and 22.2 mm.
Exchanged for a cotton shirt by Patti Langton at Napongayit in the Kerenge Clan area on the 24th March 1979 during the British Institute in East Africa's expedition to the Southern Sudan.
This type of object is known as a taba, and was probably made by specialist men. They are used as stools by men, and by women when they become old. Some stools are specially made for elders. For a similar example, see 1979.20.160, which was purchased for 50 piastres.
Rachael Sparks 8/9/2005.
Exchanged for a cotton shirt by Patti Langton at Napongayit in the Kerenge Clan area on the 24th March 1979 during the British Institute in East Africa's expedition to the Southern Sudan.
This type of object is known as a taba, and was probably made by specialist men. They are used as stools by men, and by women when they become old. Some stools are specially made for elders. For a similar example, see 1979.20.160, which was purchased for 50 piastres.
Rachael Sparks 8/9/2005.
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 alootment of the collection do not appear on her list and have been added here.
See Related Documents file as well.
[p.
204] 1979.20.136 - 193 SOUTHERN SUDAN the LARIM The Larim live about 50 miles west of Kapoeta in the eastern corner of S.
Sudan.
They are a non-Nilotic pastoral people, living in permanent mountain villages.
They are part of the Didinga-Longarim-Murle language group.
They live in the Boya Hills - Boya is the Topasa (neighbouring group) name for the Larim, which is also used by the Administration.
Longarim is the Didinga's name for them but they call themselves the Larim, and that is used here.
[p.
205] The LARIM The collection was made in two parts.
The "PL" labelled material was collected during Pat Langton's stay in a village in the Northern Larim area.
The "∆" labelled material was collected by Jill Goudie, one of the archaeologists on the Expedition, from the base camp LARYOK, among the Southern Larim.
Money is known among the Larim but it is used only for buying beads for women from Kapoeta, or for the few members of the group who would go to Juba.
The women especially were more interested in exchange gifts of salt, cloth & soap.
The Larim material is documented in three parts: a) General Larim pieces - no information as to which section of the Larim it comes from b) the "PL" Collection from the Northern Larim, from three of the eight Northern Larim clans c) the Southern Larim material collected by Jill Goudie, numbered "∆".
[p.
208] 1979.20.155 - 162 NORTH LARIM/BOYA; KERENGE CLAN, NAPONGAYIT VILLAGE; 24.3.79 [p.
210] 1979.20.161 Old
taba
now used by women.
L = 41 cm.
Coll.
no.
PL 54.
Cost - a cotton shirt.
Additional Accession Book Entry [below accession number in red biro] - A5-F35-10.
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the catalogue card [RTS 25/5/2004].
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. This item appears in Langton's list under the heading 'Purchased in Kerenge clan, Napongayit village, where I was living', as 'stool TABA , Old and now used by women. See PL 53' which gives the further information that these stools are made by specialists, for men to sit on, but used by women when they are old, and sometimes specially made for elders. Then entry for PL 54 is annoted with the comments 'wooden' and '3-legged' [RTS 12/1/2004].
Pitt Rivers Museum label - S. SUDAN, NORTHERN LARIM. Woman's stool, P. Langton coll., PL 54. 1979.20.161 [plastic tag with metal eyelet, tied to object; RTS 17/3/2005].
Additional Accession Book Entry [below accession number in red biro] - A5-F35-10.
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the catalogue card [RTS 25/5/2004].
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. This item appears in Langton's list under the heading 'Purchased in Kerenge clan, Napongayit village, where I was living', as 'stool TABA , Old and now used by women. See PL 53' which gives the further information that these stools are made by specialists, for men to sit on, but used by women when they are old, and sometimes specially made for elders. Then entry for PL 54 is annoted with the comments 'wooden' and '3-legged' [RTS 12/1/2004].
Pitt Rivers Museum label - S. SUDAN, NORTHERN LARIM. Woman's stool, P. Langton coll., PL 54. 1979.20.161 [plastic tag with metal eyelet, tied to object; RTS 17/3/2005].
