Lokoya headrest
Other views of this artifact:
Accession Number:
1922.25.10
Country:
Sudan
Region:
[Southern Sudan] Bahr el Jebel Eastern Equatoria Between Mongalla and Torit
Cultural Group:
Lokoya ?Lotuko [Otuho]
Date Made:
By March 1922
Materials:
Wood Plant
Process:
Carved , Decorated , Notched , Incised
Dimensions:
Total L = 270; body L = 192, W = 68.5, th = 66.3, handle diam = 32.8 x 31.3 mm [RTS 1/6/2005].
Weight:
543.0 g
Other Owners:
Collected by Charles Gabriel Seligman and his wife Brenda Zara Seligman while conducting research in the Southern Sudan. They entered Lokoiya and Lotuko territory in January 1922, with their itinerary including visits to the Bellinian rest house (11th-13t
Field Collector:
Charles Gabriel Seligman & Brenda Zara Seligman
PRM Source:
Charles Gabriel Seligman
Acquired:
Donated July 1922
Collected Date:
January to March 1922
Description:
Headrest carved from a single block of yellowish brown wood (Pantone 7508C), consisting of a rectangular body flattened on four sides, and slightly curving at either end.
A single handle projects from the centre of the front end, irregularly oval in section and tapering outwards from its base, possibly to make the object easier to carry.
The 4 long edges of the body have been decorated with a series of notches, alternating between a continuous row of notches on 2 of the sides, and notches arranged in two groups of 5 notches each, with a space left between each group.
The flat upper surface is also partially covered with a series of shallow incised circles, many of which overlap.
There are traces of use wear on some of the sides.
The headrest is complete, but the body has split badly along the underside, with a few more minor cracks also running with the grain on one side.
It has a weight of 543 grams, and is 270 mm long, with a body that is 192 mm long, 68.5 mm wide and 66.3 mm thick, while the handle has a maximum diameter of 32.8 by 31.3 mm.
Collected by Charles Gabriel Seligman and his wife Brenda Zara Seligman while conducting research in the Southern Sudan, from the Lokoya tribe, who were a Lotuko-speaking people. For discussions of the Lokoya, see G.W.B. Huntingford, 1953, The Northern Nilo-Hamites, p. 75-78, and C.G. Seligman, Pagan Tribes, pp 340-345. The exact place of collection was recorded in a general way as 'between Mongalla and Torit', where this group was located. The Seligmans entered Lokoiya and Lotuko territory in January 1922, with their itinerary including visits to the Bellinian rest house (11th-13th), a resthouse on the Mongalla-Torit road (14th), Ngala and Hangare Lokoiya (15th), Lokoiya (17th), Lokila (18th), Lobula (19th), Torit (20-23rd), Lebalwa (24th), Tarangala (25th January to 4th February), Idumela and Lugurn (4th February), Lopi (6th), Kiri Kiak (7th), Legoprof (10-16th), Lopir and Lomu (16th), Losua village (17th) and then back to Torit on February 20th. After that, they ventured into Acholi territory, then back into Torit and the surrounding area from March 5th to around March 15th (based on information collected by Fran Larson from the unpublished diaries of C.G. and B.Z. Seligman, in the Archives of the London School of Economics, Seligman manuscripts, files 1/4/1 and 1/4/6).
Two similar headrests were collected by the Seligman's at around the same time, 1922.25.9, which has a similar 'handle' on one side, and 1922.25.8, which does not.
Rachael Sparks 22/08/2005.
Collected by Charles Gabriel Seligman and his wife Brenda Zara Seligman while conducting research in the Southern Sudan, from the Lokoya tribe, who were a Lotuko-speaking people. For discussions of the Lokoya, see G.W.B. Huntingford, 1953, The Northern Nilo-Hamites, p. 75-78, and C.G. Seligman, Pagan Tribes, pp 340-345. The exact place of collection was recorded in a general way as 'between Mongalla and Torit', where this group was located. The Seligmans entered Lokoiya and Lotuko territory in January 1922, with their itinerary including visits to the Bellinian rest house (11th-13th), a resthouse on the Mongalla-Torit road (14th), Ngala and Hangare Lokoiya (15th), Lokoiya (17th), Lokila (18th), Lobula (19th), Torit (20-23rd), Lebalwa (24th), Tarangala (25th January to 4th February), Idumela and Lugurn (4th February), Lopi (6th), Kiri Kiak (7th), Legoprof (10-16th), Lopir and Lomu (16th), Losua village (17th) and then back to Torit on February 20th. After that, they ventured into Acholi territory, then back into Torit and the surrounding area from March 5th to around March 15th (based on information collected by Fran Larson from the unpublished diaries of C.G. and B.Z. Seligman, in the Archives of the London School of Economics, Seligman manuscripts, files 1/4/1 and 1/4/6).
Two similar headrests were collected by the Seligman's at around the same time, 1922.25.9, which has a similar 'handle' on one side, and 1922.25.8, which does not.
Rachael Sparks 22/08/2005.
Primary Documentation:
Accession Book Entry
[VII, p.
46] - 1922 [pencil insert] 25 [end insert]
Dr C.G.
SELIGMAN
, F.R.S., Court Leys, Toot Baldon, Oxon.
July - Specimens collected by himself during 1922, viz:
1922.312-314
[pencil insert] 8-10 [end insert] - [1 of] 3 Wooden block head-rests, LOKOIYA tribe [insert] (the most N[orth]-westerly of the Latuka-speaking group, betw[een] Mongalla (Nile) & Torit) [end insert].
Additional Accession book entry [VII, p. 25 top, in pencil] - blue numbers not valid & not on specimens. Inserted by an assistant in error.
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the tribes catalogue card [RTS 1/6/2004].
Related Documents File - 1922.25: Letter from C.G. Seligman to Henry Balfour, dated 16th July 1922 and clearly in response to some questions about this group of material: "...Lokoiya might I suppose be spelt Lokoia but there did seem to be a "y" sound in it. The tribe is the most north westerly of the Latuka-speaking group & begins to straddle the main track running from Mongalla (on Nile) to Torit some 40 miles from Mongalla" [RTS 1/7/2004].
Pitt Rivers Museum label - AFRICA, Southern Sudan. LOKOIYA tribe. Wooden block headrest, decorated. Don. C.G. Seligman, July 1922. 1922.25.9 [plastic label, tied to object; RTS 1/6/2005].
Written on object - LOKOIYA head-rest, UPPER NILE. Pres. by Dr C.G. Seligman, 1922 [black ink; RTS 26/5/2005].
Additional Accession book entry [VII, p. 25 top, in pencil] - blue numbers not valid & not on specimens. Inserted by an assistant in error.
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the tribes catalogue card [RTS 1/6/2004].
Related Documents File - 1922.25: Letter from C.G. Seligman to Henry Balfour, dated 16th July 1922 and clearly in response to some questions about this group of material: "...Lokoiya might I suppose be spelt Lokoia but there did seem to be a "y" sound in it. The tribe is the most north westerly of the Latuka-speaking group & begins to straddle the main track running from Mongalla (on Nile) to Torit some 40 miles from Mongalla" [RTS 1/7/2004].
Pitt Rivers Museum label - AFRICA, Southern Sudan. LOKOIYA tribe. Wooden block headrest, decorated. Don. C.G. Seligman, July 1922. 1922.25.9 [plastic label, tied to object; RTS 1/6/2005].
Written on object - LOKOIYA head-rest, UPPER NILE. Pres. by Dr C.G. Seligman, 1922 [black ink; RTS 26/5/2005].
