Dinka Tuich spoon

1979.20.132

Sudan

[Southern Sudan] Northern Bahr el Ghazal ?Dhangrial ?Wun Rog ?Mayen

Dinka Tuich

By 1979

Cattle Horn Animal , Brass Metal , Copper Alloy Metal

Carved , Hammered

L = 256 mm, L handle = 42 mm, W handle = 8.5 mm (at top knob), 8.7 mm (at centre), 16.5 mm (at base knob), W bowl = 55 mm, depth bowl = 24 mm, th walls = 1.5 mm, Diam ring = 15.8 mm, W ring = 2 mm [RTS 15/6/2004].

56.8 g

Purchased by Brian John Mack (known as John Mack) (then at the Museum of Mankind) for 80 piastres between 17th and 26th February 1979 as part of the British Institute in East Africa's expedition to the Southern Sudan, headed by Patti Langton [RTS 14/6/200

Brian John Mack (known as John Mack), Museum of Mankind

Patti Langton

Purchased 1979

17 - 26 February 1979

Spoon carved from a single piece of cattle horn, consisting of a short handle with a cylindrical knob at the end, a groove cut at its base to offset it from the narrower, cylindrical handle which then flares out to a thicker band with crudely fluted sides. A thin strip of brass or copper alloy with convex outer face has been bent into a loop with overlapping ends and fastened around the body of the spoon, just below this fluted section, where the handle meets the spoon bowl. This bowl has an elongated body, the underside of which has a slight ridge near the handle end and then becomes convex, following the natural curvature of the horn. The upper surface has been hollowed out to form a concave interior that becomes more shallow at the other end, to form a long, deep scoop. The horn is partially translucent, with a strip of the body being an orangey brown colour (Pantone 7508C); the rest is a darker, opaque brown (Pantone 7533C). There are traces of tool marks on the handle, while the outer faces and inside edges of the rim have been polished. The inside surface of the spoon has some rough areas. The spoon, which is complete, weighs 56.8 grams, and has a total length of 256 mm. The handle is 42 mm long, being 8.5 mm wide at the top knob, 8.7 mm wide at its central part, and 16.5 mm wide at its lower knob. The bowl is 55 mm wide at its open end, and has a maximum depth of 24 mm; the walls are around 1.5 mm thick. The ring has a diameter of 15.8 mm and is 2 mm wide.

Purchased by Brian John Mack for 80 piastres as part of the British Institute in East Africa's expedition to the Southern Sudan, headed by Patti Langton. Although no place or date of collection is given for this object, Langton's expedition appears to have been collecting Dinka material from Dhangrial, Wun Rog and Mayen between 17th and 26th February 1979. All three sites lie within the modern administrative district of Northern Bahr el Ghazal. For a map showing the distribution of Dinka Tuich groups, see J. Ryle, 1982, Warriors of the White Nile: The Dinka , p. 25.

The local name for this item was not recorded. For variants of this design, also coming from the Dinka Tuich, see 1979.20.133-134.

Rachael Sparks 21/08/2005.

Accession Book Entry [p. 185] - 1979.20 (.1 - 206) P[urchase] MISS PATTI LANGTON, DEPT. of ETHNOLOGY & PREHISTORY, OXFORD. Collection made by Patti Langton during the British Institute in East Africa's expedition to the Southern Sudan; Jan. - April 1979. The collection was made in three culture areas during the dry season. The amount paid for each object is listed if the information is known. In Jan. 1979 £1 is equivalent to 95 piastres (pt.) Sudanese. This documentation is based largely upon Patti's own list of objects and her notes on these. Sometimes objects included in the Pitt Rivers alottment of the collection do not appear on her list and have been added here. See Related Documents file as well. [p. 191] 1979.20.43-135 SOUTHERN SUDAN the DINKA TUICH. The Dinka Tuich, a pastoral people, live to the north of Wau, in Bahr el Ghazal province. This collection was made mostly at Dhangrial, the archaeological site at which we camped. Other artifacts were collected either at Wun Rog, a small town about a mile south of Dhangrial, or at Mayen, the new administrative centre 12 miles north. This was a remote area, difficult of access and rarely visited by outsiders. The Dinka are very aware of the potential of money, which is used either to help family members acquire education or entry into commerce and administration in Juba or Khartoum. Once it was known we (the collectors) were offering money, the Dinka in surrounding compounds came daily, increasing prices as often as they could! [p. 204] 1979.20.132 Carved cow horn spoon. Inside L = 25.6 cm. Coll. by J. Mack; 80 pt. Coll. no. 94.
Additional Accession Book Entry [below accession number in red biro] - A5-F34-9.

Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the catalogue card [RTS 6/4/2004].

Related Documents File - 1979.20 contains a typed packing list, which has been annotated; a typed list of objects arranged by Langton collection numbers and with pencil and biro annotations, and a handwritten list of objects by museum number, essentially repeating this information and annotated with PRM photo numbers in red. This handwritten list seems to be the direct source for the accession book entry. This object appears on Langton's list only as a pencilled addition, titled 'extra Dinka (not on Pat's list, but on packing list)' [RTS 12/1/2004].