Dinka necklet
Other views of this artifact:
Accession Number:
1903.16.120
Country:
Sudan
Region:
[Southern Sudan] [White Nile]
Cultural Group:
Dinka
Date Made:
By 1903
Materials:
Animal Hide Skin , Animal Hair , ?Aluminium Metal , ?Tin Metal , ?Cotton Yarn Plant
Process:
Hammered , Perforated , Stitched , Twisted
Dimensions:
L = 660 mm, W strip = 5.5 mm, Th strip = 2 mm, metal segment = 10 x 6 x 1 mm [RTS 29/3/2004].
Other Owners:
Collected by Donald Gunn in the Southern Sudan and presented to the Pitt Rivers Museum in 1903. Museum records do not give a specific provenance for this item, but Gunn appears to have collected Shilluk material from the ‘White Nile’, ‘Upper Nile’, Kodok
Field Collector:
Donald Gunn
PRM Source:
Donald Gunn
Acquired:
Donated 1903
Collected Date:
By 1903
Description:
Narrow hide strip, tapering to either end.
The animal hair has largely been removed from the surface, but at one end two long twisted strands of what seems to be hair have been twined together to form a thin cord.
This divides into two strands 70 mm from the end, and was probably used for fastening the necklet into place.
There are 26 rectangular pieces of a light silver coloured metal sewn onto one side of this strip; the metal is either aluminium or tin.
Each segment has been hammered so that it has a convex back, with holes punched through the metal at either end; this was done from the underside, leaving a raised collar around each hole on its upper surface.
The segments have been attached using long stitches that go through each hole, and run down the centre of the strip, using cotton thread.
The necklet appears to be essentially complete, although the divided ends are fraying, and a metal segment has become detached at one end.
The hide is yellowish brown in colour (Pantone 7509C) and the metal a shiny, uncorroded metallic grey (Pantone 420C).
The strip is 660 mm long, 5.5 mm wide and 2 mm thick; a typical metal segment measures 10 x 6 x 1 mm.
Collected by Donald Gunn in the Southern Sudan and presented to the Pitt Rivers Museum in 1903. Museum records give only the generic provenance of ‘White Nile’ for this item; Gunn appears to have collected Shilluk material from the ‘White Nile’, ‘Upper Nile’, Kodok and Bor, Nuer material from around Lake No, Dinka material from the ‘White Nile’ and Arab material from Omdurman.
Rachael Sparks 18/9/2005.
Collected by Donald Gunn in the Southern Sudan and presented to the Pitt Rivers Museum in 1903. Museum records give only the generic provenance of ‘White Nile’ for this item; Gunn appears to have collected Shilluk material from the ‘White Nile’, ‘Upper Nile’, Kodok and Bor, Nuer material from around Lake No, Dinka material from the ‘White Nile’ and Arab material from Omdurman.
Rachael Sparks 18/9/2005.
Primary Documentation:
Accession Book Entry
[III, p.
110] - 1903 [pencil insert] 16 [end insert]
DR
D.
GUNN
Esq., M.B.
40 Dover Street, London, W.
June.
[...] [p.
114, pencil insert] 120 [end insert] - Dinka, metal-faced necklet, White Nile.
Card Catalogue Entry - ANGLO-EGYPTIAN SUDAN, WHITE NILE, DINKA TRIBE. Metal-faced necklet. d.d. D. Gunn, 1903 [RTS 9/3/2004].
Old Pitt Rivers Museum label - DINKA necklet. WHITE NILE. Pres. by Dr D. Gunn, 1903 [rectangular tag with metal edges, tied to object, RTS 29/3/2004].
Card Catalogue Entry - ANGLO-EGYPTIAN SUDAN, WHITE NILE, DINKA TRIBE. Metal-faced necklet. d.d. D. Gunn, 1903 [RTS 9/3/2004].
Old Pitt Rivers Museum label - DINKA necklet. WHITE NILE. Pres. by Dr D. Gunn, 1903 [rectangular tag with metal edges, tied to object, RTS 29/3/2004].
