Dinka Tuich bowl
Other views of this artifact:
Accession Number:
1979.20.50
Country:
Sudan
Region:
[Southern Sudan] Northern Bahr el Ghazal Dhangrial
Cultural Group:
Dinka Tuich
Date Made:
By 1979
Materials:
Gourd Plant
Process:
Hollowed , Dried , Decorated , Pyroengraved Pokerwork , Burnt
Dimensions:
Ht = 150, Rim L = 273, rim W = 210, rim th = 5 mm [RTS 30/3/2005].
Weight:
167.3 g
Local Name:
adwok anyel [aduok anyäl]
Other Owners:
Purchased by Patti Langton for £1 on 17th February 1979 as part of the British Institute in Eastern Africa's Expedition to the Southern Sudan [RTS 15/6/2004].
Field Collector:
Patti Langton
PRM Source:
Patti Langton
Acquired:
Purchased 1979
Collected Date:
17 February 1979
Description:
Hemispherical bowl made from a gourd, split longitudinally down the centre, with the pulpy interior removed and the shell dried out.
It consists of a narrow flat topped rim, slightly indented on one side, and turning out from the rim opposite to form a short, broad spout; these areas represent the base and neck of the original gourd plant.
The body is oval in plan view, and quite deep, with convex walls sloping down to a convex base.
The interior is a matt yellow (Pantone 7508C), discoloured in the centre and over part of the walls.
The exterior is a smooth orange colour (Pantone 7512C), with a few lighter yellow patches where the outer skin of the gourd was not completely scraped away (Pantone 7506C).
The flat upper part of the rim and edge of the spout have been burnt black (Pantone black 7C), but the effect has worn away in places.
The bowl exterior has been completely covered with a pyroengraved design, made by etching the surface with a thin metal tool and then burning in the patterns using a heated spear or knife.
The design makes use of hatching to create textured bands, contrasted with the smooth, undecorated surface of the gourd left as reserve strips running both around the circumference and vertically down the sides.
It consists of a narrow band just below the rim, filled with a row of hatched triangles pendant from the top line meeting a second row, pointing up from the base line - creating an hourglass shaped motif.
Below this, the bowl body has been divided into four quarters by vertical broad reserved strips, framed by straight lines.
The strip that runs across the width of the body is further decorated with 2 pairs of hatched triangles at either end.
Each of the quadrants has been divided into 2 horizontal registers by a narrow reserve strip.
The upper register is filled with 2 rectangular areas of crosshatching; the lower register, which is triangular in shape, is completely filled with crosshatching.
The bowl is complete, but has numerous insect bore holes in both interior and exterior walls.
There is also a narrow cut mark along the inside edge of the rim in one area, left from removing the gourd interior.
It has a weight of 167.3 grams, and is 273 mm long, 210 mm wide and 150 mm high, with walls that are 5 mm thick.
Purchased by Patti Langton at Dhangrial for £1 on 17th February 1979 as part of the British Institute in Eastern Africa's Expedition to the Southern Sudan. For a map showing the distribution of Dinka Tuich groups, see J. Ryle, 1982, Warriors of the White Nile: The Dinka , p. 25.
Langton does not specify how this particular bowl was used, but similar vessels such as 1979.20.91 are said to have been used as plates for eating from by men or female guests. Its local name is adwok anyel. Nebel gives the definition for Aduok, pl. aduk, as a large bowl, and Anyäl, pl. Anyel, as a calabash with drawings (A. Nebel 1979, Dinka-English Dictionary, p. 5, 10). These vessels were decorated by women; the pattern was first marked out in charcoal, then using a type of needle called a with , before scoring over the marks using a heated spear or knife blade; for another example of this technique, see 1979.20.91. The museum collection also includes an iron with, 1979.20.59.
Rachael Sparks 17/8/2005.
Purchased by Patti Langton at Dhangrial for £1 on 17th February 1979 as part of the British Institute in Eastern Africa's Expedition to the Southern Sudan. For a map showing the distribution of Dinka Tuich groups, see J. Ryle, 1982, Warriors of the White Nile: The Dinka , p. 25.
Langton does not specify how this particular bowl was used, but similar vessels such as 1979.20.91 are said to have been used as plates for eating from by men or female guests. Its local name is adwok anyel. Nebel gives the definition for Aduok, pl. aduk, as a large bowl, and Anyäl, pl. Anyel, as a calabash with drawings (A. Nebel 1979, Dinka-English Dictionary, p. 5, 10). These vessels were decorated by women; the pattern was first marked out in charcoal, then using a type of needle called a with , before scoring over the marks using a heated spear or knife blade; for another example of this technique, see 1979.20.91. The museum collection also includes an iron with, 1979.20.59.
Rachael Sparks 17/8/2005.
Primary Documentation:
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 [insert] (the collectors) [end insert] were offering money, the Dinka in surrounding compounds came daily, increasing prices as often as they could! [p.
192] 1979.20.50 Large decorated gourd,
adwok anyel
; decorated by women.
L = 27 cm., W = 21.5 cm.
Coll.
in Dhangrial, 17.2.79; £1.
Coll.
no.
100.
Additional Accession Book Entry [below accession number in red biro] - A5-F33-29.
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the catalogue card [RTS 03/03/2004].
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. Langton's list gives further details for this object 'Women decorate the gourds (see [Langton] 210 below). Anyel means decorated'. The entry for Langton 210 describes the method of decoration: 'Decoration is made by scoring with a heated spear or knife blade. The pattern is laid out in advance (see [Langton] 128), with charcoal then a needle, with . Decorated gourds are used as plates to eat from by men, or female guests'. Langton 128 is an example of the with , in iron [RTS 12/1/2004].
Written on object - 100 [faint pencil]; S. SUDAN, DINKA TUICH, P. Langton Coll. 100, 1979.20.50 [ink; RTS 23/3/2005].
Additional Accession Book Entry [below accession number in red biro] - A5-F33-29.
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the catalogue card [RTS 03/03/2004].
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. Langton's list gives further details for this object 'Women decorate the gourds (see [Langton] 210 below). Anyel means decorated'. The entry for Langton 210 describes the method of decoration: 'Decoration is made by scoring with a heated spear or knife blade. The pattern is laid out in advance (see [Langton] 128), with charcoal then a needle, with . Decorated gourds are used as plates to eat from by men, or female guests'. Langton 128 is an example of the with , in iron [RTS 12/1/2004].
Written on object - 100 [faint pencil]; S. SUDAN, DINKA TUICH, P. Langton Coll. 100, 1979.20.50 [ink; RTS 23/3/2005].
