Dinka parrying shield
Other views of this artifact:
Accession Number:
1979.20.80
Country:
Sudan
Region:
[Southern Sudan] Northern Bahr el Ghazal ?Dhangrial ?Wun Rog ?Mayen
Cultural Group:
Dinka Tuich
Date Made:
By 1979
Materials:
Cattle Skin Animal , Wood Plant , Animal Hide Skin , Plant Fibre , String , Iron Metal , Textile
Process:
Carved , Hollowed , Covered , Stitched , Bound , Tied Recycled
Dimensions:
L = 510, W = 115, th = 93; handle W = 25, binding strip W = 8 to 11 mm; zip W = 13 mm, stitching thong W = 2 to 4 mm [RTS 11/1/2005].
Weight:
580.6 g
Local Name:
adeit; ayaak
Other Owners:
Purchased by Brian John Mack (known as John Mack) (then at the Museum of Mankind) for £2 on 21st February 1979 as part of the British Institute in East Africa's expedition to the Southern Sudan, headed by Patti Langton [RTS 14/6/2004].
Field Collector:
Brian John Mack (known as John Mack), Museum of Mankind
PRM Source:
Patti Langton
Acquired:
Purchased 1979
Collected Date:
21 February 1979
Description:
Object that can be used as a parrying shield, headrest or seat, carved out from a single piece of soft, lightweight ambatch wood with a cylindrical body, oval in section, that is slightly rounded at either end.
The wood is a pale yellowish brown colour (Pantone 7506C).
The centre of the body has been carved out to form a rectangular handle on one side, with a convex inner face where the fingers would fit around it; below this the wood is hollowed out to form a concave surface that provides room for the knuckles.
Holes have been cut into the four corners of the handle side, and short trimmed lengths of knotty branches fitted into them, some of which still have traces of bark on the surface.
This is probably made from a denser and harder wood type, which is a stronger yellowish brown (Pantone 7508C).
These presumably act as short feet when the object is being used as a seat; they vary in base size, and range from triangular to almost round.
The entire surface has also been covered in a rectangular piece of calf skin, covered with mottled dark brown and cream coloured hair (Pantone 439C and 7499C).
This has a slight ridge running along the centre of the length on the upper side; the hair has worn away in a few patches across the surface.
The hide cover has been sewn in place using narrow hide strips, with the seams positioned at either end and on the underside, and a length of twisted string has been wound several times around one of the feet.
Lentoid shaped slits have been cut into this to expose the feet, with oval holes on either side of the handle to allow the hand to pass through.
The handle itself has been bound around with a broader strip of brown hide, knotted in place near the end (Pantone 7532C).
A faded bluish gray textile zip with iron teeth has been tied into a loop around the handle, possibly as a carrying aid.
The original colour of the fabric is somewhat darker (Pantone 5415C).
The object appears to be complete, although there are some splits in the visible part of the wood, and a cut on one side of the grip.
It has a weight of 580.6 grams, is 510 mm long, 115 mm wide and 93 mm thick; the handle has a width of 25 mm, and the strip binding the handle is 8 to 11 mm wide.
The zip has a width of 13 mm, and the thong used as stitching is around 2 to 4 mm wide.
Purchased by Brian John Mack (known as John Mack) in the northern Bahr el Ghazal province, at Dhangrial, Wun Rog or Mayen for £2 on 21st February 1979 as part of the British Institute in East Africa's expedition to the Southern Sudan, headed by Patti Langton. At the time this object was collected, the Bahr el Ghazal province was bordered by the Upper Nile Province to the east and Western Equatoria to the south; this area is now divided into the districts of Western Bahr el Ghazal, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, and parts of Warab and El Buheyrat. Dhangrial, Wun Rog and Mayen lie within 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 Dinka Tuich name for this object is given by the collectors as adeit or ayaak, and it is said to be also used as a pillow or seat by old men . Nebel gives the definition for adet as ‘a stool of ambash-wood, used also as bag’, and this may be the term intended here (Nebel 1979, Dinka-English Dictionary, p. 5, 10). The design of this is very similar to parry shields 1937.34.44 (Nuer) and 1932.30.4 (Rueng Dinka, used also as a seat), but neither is quite as broad, covered so completely or provided with 'feet'. This example lacks the internal storage compartments often seen on similar objects; it is most likely these compartments that led to Nebel's secondary definition for the type.
Rachael Sparks 1/8/2005.
Purchased by Brian John Mack (known as John Mack) in the northern Bahr el Ghazal province, at Dhangrial, Wun Rog or Mayen for £2 on 21st February 1979 as part of the British Institute in East Africa's expedition to the Southern Sudan, headed by Patti Langton. At the time this object was collected, the Bahr el Ghazal province was bordered by the Upper Nile Province to the east and Western Equatoria to the south; this area is now divided into the districts of Western Bahr el Ghazal, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, and parts of Warab and El Buheyrat. Dhangrial, Wun Rog and Mayen lie within 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 Dinka Tuich name for this object is given by the collectors as adeit or ayaak, and it is said to be also used as a pillow or seat by old men . Nebel gives the definition for adet as ‘a stool of ambash-wood, used also as bag’, and this may be the term intended here (Nebel 1979, Dinka-English Dictionary, p. 5, 10). The design of this is very similar to parry shields 1937.34.44 (Nuer) and 1932.30.4 (Rueng Dinka, used also as a seat), but neither is quite as broad, covered so completely or provided with 'feet'. This example lacks the internal storage compartments often seen on similar objects; it is most likely these compartments that led to Nebel's secondary definition for the type.
Rachael Sparks 1/8/2005.
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! [pp 196-197] 1979.20.80 Shield/headrest/seat,
adeit
or
ayaak
.
Also used as a pillow or seat by old men.
Calf-skin covering.
A similar type of object (but thicker) is used as a shield.
L = 50.5 cm.
Coll.
by John Mack, 21.2.79; £2 Coll.
no.
186.
Additional Accession Book Entry [below accession number in red biro] - A5-F34-34.
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 [RTS 12/1/2004].
Additional Accession Book Entry [below accession number in red biro] - A5-F34-34.
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 [RTS 12/1/2004].
