Shilluk arm ornament
Other views of this artifact:
Accession Number:
1970.37.1
Country:
Sudan
Region:
[Southern Sudan]
Cultural Group:
Shilluk
Date Made:
By 1970
Materials:
Elephant Tooth Ivory Animal
Process:
Carved , Polished , Pegged
Dimensions:
Max Diam = 142 mm Max H = 48 mm [RTS 14/5/2004].
Weight:
354.5 g
Other Owners:
T.R. Wadeson (British Red Cross Society)
PRM Source:
T.R. Wadeson
Acquired:
Purchased October 1970
Collected Date:
By 1970
Description:
Ivory arm ornament carved from a single piece of ivory, with an oval opening with flat sides cut into the centre, where the object would rest against the owner's upper arm.
The outer face slopes concavely down from the top edge to an angular projecting flange around the centre, then concavely in to the bottom edge below.
The armlet was subsequently either deliberately cut or accidentally broken into two joining pieces.
These were then pegged together using what appear to be dowels fitted into holes bored in the centre of each broken end.
The breaks occur directly opposite one another and appear to be regular, suggesting that they might be a design feature rather than an error, possibly to allow the ornament to be fitted around the upper arm more easily.
The surfaces have been polished, and are currently an opaque creamy yellow colour (Pantone 7407C).
The object is largely complete, with a very small chip missing from the inner face, although the surfaces are heavily crazed and some cracks appear to be developing.
It measures 143.2 by 123 mm across the outside edges, with an internal diameter of 83 by 77 mm, a height of 48 mm and a weight of 354.5 grams.
Collected by T.R. Wadeson of the British Red Cross Society and purchased by the museum in 1970.
The arm ornament is said to probably be of Shilluk origin, and to be an old specimen made of elephant ivory. A similar armlet is illustrated by A. Fisher in Africa Adorned (1984), p. 64 figure 5 (right); this is given a provenance of 'the Upper Nile'; another may be found in the British Museum, accession no. 1933.3-15.5. Domville Fife suggests that amongst the Shilluk ivory armlets were worn by men who had speared an elephant, a lion or a leopard (C.W. Domville Fife, 1927, Savage Life in the Black Sudan, p. 82).
Rachael Sparks 30/9/2005.
Collected by T.R. Wadeson of the British Red Cross Society and purchased by the museum in 1970.
The arm ornament is said to probably be of Shilluk origin, and to be an old specimen made of elephant ivory. A similar armlet is illustrated by A. Fisher in Africa Adorned (1984), p. 64 figure 5 (right); this is given a provenance of 'the Upper Nile'; another may be found in the British Museum, accession no. 1933.3-15.5. Domville Fife suggests that amongst the Shilluk ivory armlets were worn by men who had speared an elephant, a lion or a leopard (C.W. Domville Fife, 1927, Savage Life in the Black Sudan, p. 82).
Rachael Sparks 30/9/2005.
Primary Documentation:
Accession Book Entry
- P[urchased].
T.R.
Wadeson, Esq.
British Red Cross Society, Oxfordshire.
East Africa, Sudan probably Shilluk Tribe (information from Dr.
[Ronald] Godfrey Lienhardt) Ivory armlet, with expanded central flange [Drawing].
Diam at rim 8.3 cm.
at centre 14.2 cm.
Height 4.8 cm.
An old specimen, cracked right across in two places.
Elephant ivory.
BMB.
Additional Accession Book Entry (opposite page) - Cards done for Regional and Subject Indexes and Index of Donors, Lenders and Sellers to 1970.37.1 (B.M.B.). [red biro] - 71.6.6.
Card Catalogue Entry [tribes] - Information as in accession book, with note: Docs relating to purchase in RDF [RTS 23/7/2004].
Related Documents File - RDF 1970.37.1 contains a letter to Mr T. R. Wadeson of the British Red Cross Society from Assistant Curator Schuyler Jones, dated 29th September 1970, offering to purchase the armlet for £5; a letter from Wadeson in reply, dated 30th September 1970, in which he describes the object as a 'Shilluk Bracelet - Sudan'; a letter from 'Skye' to Bernard [Fagg], dated 5th October 1970, regarding the purchase (and mentioning an earlier figure of £8); a direction to Barclays Bank to Pay the British Red Cross Society £5, dated 7/10/1970.
Pitt Rivers Museum label - AFRICA, Sudan probably SHILLUK Elephant ivory armlet purchased from T.R. Wadeson 1970 1970.37.1 [LM 'DCF 2004-2006 What's Upstairs?' 12/10/2005]
Additional Accession Book Entry (opposite page) - Cards done for Regional and Subject Indexes and Index of Donors, Lenders and Sellers to 1970.37.1 (B.M.B.). [red biro] - 71.6.6.
Card Catalogue Entry [tribes] - Information as in accession book, with note: Docs relating to purchase in RDF [RTS 23/7/2004].
Related Documents File - RDF 1970.37.1 contains a letter to Mr T. R. Wadeson of the British Red Cross Society from Assistant Curator Schuyler Jones, dated 29th September 1970, offering to purchase the armlet for £5; a letter from Wadeson in reply, dated 30th September 1970, in which he describes the object as a 'Shilluk Bracelet - Sudan'; a letter from 'Skye' to Bernard [Fagg], dated 5th October 1970, regarding the purchase (and mentioning an earlier figure of £8); a direction to Barclays Bank to Pay the British Red Cross Society £5, dated 7/10/1970.
Pitt Rivers Museum label - AFRICA, Sudan probably SHILLUK Elephant ivory armlet purchased from T.R. Wadeson 1970 1970.37.1 [LM 'DCF 2004-2006 What's Upstairs?' 12/10/2005]
