Nuer dance stick
Other views of this artifact:
Accession Number:
1931.66.14
Country:
Sudan
Region:
[Southern Sudan]
Cultural Group:
Nuer
Date Made:
By 1931
Materials:
Wood Plant
Process:
Carved , Pyroengraved Pokerwork , Decorated , ?Stained , Polished
Dimensions:
L = 630 mm, diam shaft = 22.5 by 21.5 mm, diam knob = 31.3 by 30.7 mm [RTS 11/8/2004].
Weight:
147.0 g
Other Owners:
Collected by Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard either in the early part of 1930 (probably February to April), or between February and June of 1931 [CM; RTS 9/7/2004].
Field Collector:
Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard
PRM Source:
Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard
Acquired:
Donated December 1931
Collected Date:
1930 - 1931
Description:
Dance stick carved from a single piece of wood and consisting of a phallic domed knob at the top with flat blackened or stained underside, on a straight round to oval sectioned shaft that tapers slightly to a rounded end.
The wood has a clearly visible grain running down its length, interspersed with a series of knots, and would appear to represent the original form of a branch with its ends trimmed and shaped.
Each knot is blackened and some are surrounded by scorch marks, suggesting that the stumps of the branches originally connecting to these were burnt down to lie flush with the surface.
The underlying colour of the wood is a yellowish brown (Pantone 730C), perhaps deliberately stained a darker reddish brown over most of the surface (Pantone 4625C).
This is also decorated with incised and blackened linear motifs that were probably applied through pyroengraved pokerwork.
These are arranged in 7 groups down the length of the shaft, each framed by a jagged horizontal line running around the body at top and base, with the interior filled with several columns of short dashes, of varying depth and length and roughly lentoid in shape.
The surface was then polished.
The object is complete and intact, with a weight of 147 grams.
It is 630 mm long; the knob has a width of 31.3 and thickness of 30.7 mm and is 33 mm in length; the shaft measures 22.5 by 21.5 mm just below the head, and 17.6 by 17.5 mm lower down the body.
This object was collected by Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard during his first or second seasons of fieldwork amongst the Nuer, e.g.: in February to April 1930 or between February and June of 1931, in 'the dry season'. In the former, he spent around three and a half months in Leek territory at Yahnyang and Pakur on the Bahr el Ghazal, in Lou territory at Muot Dit, and at Adok, amongst the Dok Nuer. In the latter, he spent five and a half months at Nasir, on the Nyanding River, and at Yakwat on the Sobat River (see E.E. Evans-Pritchard, 1940, The Nuer , and the map of Evans-Pritchard's fieldwork in D.H. Johnson, "Evans-Pritchard, the Nuer, and the Sudan Political Service", African Affairs 81 no. 323, p. 233) (pers. comm. Chris Morton 2004).
Dancing stick, used by a girl. The style of work and technique of decoration is very similar to 1931.66.13, a Nuer dance stick in a form derived from a parrying shield.
Rachael Sparks 18/9/2005.
This object was collected by Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard during his first or second seasons of fieldwork amongst the Nuer, e.g.: in February to April 1930 or between February and June of 1931, in 'the dry season'. In the former, he spent around three and a half months in Leek territory at Yahnyang and Pakur on the Bahr el Ghazal, in Lou territory at Muot Dit, and at Adok, amongst the Dok Nuer. In the latter, he spent five and a half months at Nasir, on the Nyanding River, and at Yakwat on the Sobat River (see E.E. Evans-Pritchard, 1940, The Nuer , and the map of Evans-Pritchard's fieldwork in D.H. Johnson, "Evans-Pritchard, the Nuer, and the Sudan Political Service", African Affairs 81 no. 323, p. 233) (pers. comm. Chris Morton 2004).
Dancing stick, used by a girl. The style of work and technique of decoration is very similar to 1931.66.13, a Nuer dance stick in a form derived from a parrying shield.
Rachael Sparks 18/9/2005.
Primary Documentation:
Accession Book Entry
[IX, p.
16] 1931 [insert, in pencil] 66 [end insert]
E.
EVANS-PRITCHARD
, Esq.
Dec.
Specimens collected by himself in the EASTERN SUDAN, viz.
[pencil insert, p.
18] 14 [end insert] - Girl’s dance stick, slightly carved & with knob at the top (?phallic), NUER.
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the tribes catalogue card [RTS 23/7/2004].
Written on object - Girl's dance-stick, NUER tribe. E. SUDAN. d.d. E. Evans-Pritchard, 1931 [RTS 23/7/2004].
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the tribes catalogue card [RTS 23/7/2004].
Written on object - Girl's dance-stick, NUER tribe. E. SUDAN. d.d. E. Evans-Pritchard, 1931 [RTS 23/7/2004].
