A Nuer dance

A Nuer dance
58 x 55 mm | Print gelatin silver
Date of Print:
Unknown
Previous PRM Number:
EP.N.XI.66
Previous Other Number:
44 (A134)


Accession Number:
1998.355.530.2
Description:
Two men crouching in preparation for a leaping dance movement known as rau with spears held in the right hand. Beyond them a group of men are dancing, right outside the awning of Evans-Pritchard's tent at Yakwach cattle camp on the Sobat River which Evans-Pritchard revisited in July 1935. Dances were an everyday feature of life in villages and cattle camps, and often accompanied special events such as marriages. Such dances were the main arena for courtship among Nuer youth, and often took the form of mock battles between village groups. The length of the shadows suggests that this dance was held at the end of the day, perhaps at the instigation of Evans-Pritchard since it is near his tent.
Photographer:
Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard
Date of Photo:
1935 July
Region:
[Southern Sudan] Upper Nile Sobat River Yakwach
Group:
Nuer Lou
PRM Source:
Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard
Acquired:
Donated 1966
Other Owners:
E. E. Evans-Pritchard Collection
Class:
Dance , Weapon , Shelter , Ornament
Keyword:
Dance Accessory , Spear , Tent
Activity:
Dancing
Event:
Dance
Documentation:
Original catalogue lists in Manuscript Collections. Additional material in related documents files. [CM 27/9/2005]
Primary Documentation:
Accession Book Entry [p. 98] 1966.27 [1 - 24] G[ift] PROFESSOR E. E. EVANS-PRITCHARD; INST. OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY, 51 BANBURY RD. OXFORD 1966.27.1-16 S. SUDAN. NUER TRIBE. Sixteen negative albums containing negatives and prints of photographs taken by donor during field-work. All listed in albums. Added Accession Book Entry - [p. 98 in right hand column, in pencil] Catalogue room.

Manual Catalogues [index taken from album book XI, ms ink] - 66. dancing

Note on print reverse ms pencil - "44 134" & print front border ms ink - "NUER XI/66"

Other Information:
The same men appear in another image [1998.355.52] which is indexed as Yakwach village. [Chris Morton 21/5/2004]
Recorder:
Christopher Morton [4/8/2004] [Southern Sudan Project]
 
Funded by Arts and Humanities Research Council
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