Oil lamp
Other views of this artifact:
Accession Number:
1985.24.14
Country:
Sudan
Region:
[Southern Sudan] Bahr el Jebel Yei
Date Made:
By 1984
Materials:
Aluminium Metal
Process:
Recycled , Hammered , Bent , Soldered , Printed
Dimensions:
Ht = 130; nozzle diam = 7.3, neck diam = 21.7, shoulder diam = 67.5, base diam = 65, handle L = 29.5, handle W = 6.8 mm [RTS 14/7/2005].
Weight:
46.5 g
Other Owners:
Purchased in Yei market between July and September 1984 by members of the Lutaya Expedition (from the Third World Society of Oxford University), and sold to the Pitt Rivers Museum via B. E. Harrell-Bond in 1985 [RTS 14/7/2005].
Field Collector:
Lutaya Expedition
PRM Source:
Lutaya Expedition via B.E. Harrell-Bond
Acquired:
Purchased 1985
Collected Date:
July to September 1984
Description:
Oil lamp made in several parts from 2 or 3 different types of recycled aluminium containers, which have a base colour of metallic gray (Pantone 877C).
An unidentified type of container with Arabic writing was used to make the nozzle; a powdered milk container was used for the shoulder and handle, and an Afri Cola container was used for the body.
The nozzle is made as a separate part that fits into the top of the body.
It consists of an upright section made from a rectangular piece of metal rolled into a narrow cylinder with the ends overlapping, and the decorated printed face of the can on the inside, where it is not visible; this has a light and mid blue printed design that includes an image of a glass, perhaps suggesting it is part of the milk container.
This has been fitted into a horizontal circular metal disc with a hole crudely cut into its centre; the disc is made from a can printed with black Arabic script on a sky blue background (Pantone 290C), with the pattern facing upwards.
This probably has a stoppered base, but it is jammed tightly into the neck of the lamp and thus not visible.
The body below consists of a short, cylindrical neck, made from a sheet of metal rolled into a cylinder, with the unprinted side of the metal facing outwards. This has been soldered onto a broad conical shoulder piece with central hole, cut from a powdered milk container, with part of a large glass or jug of frothy milk visible on a blue background (Pantone 2925C), with the message "[F]ull Cream Powd[er]", part of a red design above, and "Contains Vitamin A D3, C [...]" along the base of the fragment. The shoulder has been soldered onto the top of a cylindrical body, made from the lower part of a soft drink can. The can has a seam down one side, and groove around the body just above the ring base, which is not stamped. The can has been printed with a black background, red and white geometric shapes and white text that appears in both English and Greek script. Around the centre is a row of red lozenges (Pantone 1797C), with the lower part of similar lozenges at their tips, printed with the logo of a palm tree with the phrase 'afri cola' across its bough. There is a circular logo near the upper edge, that is printed in red 'Campania Hellas' around an image of a plant; and a rectangular logo near the base of a man throwing rubbish into a bin. The words 'TRADE MARK' appear at the base of one of the cola images, while a block of sideways text runs down parallel to the seam, reading "330 ml 11,6 fl oz A.X. Σ . 3100/80 A.Y. Σ . 3093/81" then "SOFTDRINK WITH CAFFEINE CONTAINS: CARBONATED WAT[ER...] PHOSPHOIC & MINERAL & MALIC ACID, NATURAL FLAV[OR...] AUTHORITY OF THE AFRI-COLA BLUNA GMBH, COLOGNE [...] BY CAMPANIA ELLAS S.A., THESS[AL]ONIKI/GREECE TEL [...]". Along the base of the printed area there is further script, in Greek, that reads: " ΓΕΡΜΑΝΙΚΟ ΠΡΟΙΟΝ AFRICOLA ΣΥΣΚΕΥΑΖΟΜΕΝΟ ΥΡΟ ΤΗΣ ΚΑΜΠΑΝΙΑ ΕΛΛΑΣ ΑΕΒΕ ΜΕ[...] ΓΚΡΙΣΗ ΕΚΧΥΛΙΣΜΑΤΑ, ΦΥΣΙΚΑ ΑΙΘΕΡΙΑ ΕΛΑΙΑ, [...] ΘΕΙΝΗ 0,015%, ΒΕΝΖ. ΝΑΤΡ. ΟΛΙΓΩΤΕΡΟ ΤΟΥ 0.01% ΤΗΛ. ΑΘΗΝΩΝ [...] 94,25969−9 ΘΕΣΣΑΛΟΝΙΚΙ: ΤΛ: 031/[...]1534−0394/61213 ". Finally, a thin strip of metal, probably cut from the same powdered milk container, with white writing on a blue and red background and some splashes of a pale green paint over the top, has been bent into a loop and soldered to the edge of the shoulder and midway down the body to form a vertical strap handle on one side. The lamp is complete, with patches of surface rust and some surface scratches; the nozzle, which is made as a removable piece, has rusted into its current position. It has a weight of 46.5 grams, and is 130 mm high. The nozzle has a diameter of 7.3 mm, while the neck diameter is 21.7 mm, the shoulder measures 67.5 mm across, and the base is 65 mm in diameter. The strap handle is 6.8 mm wide and 29.5 mm long.
Purchased in Yei market sometime between July and September 1984 by the Lutaya Expedition, a seven-member research and support expedition from the Third World Society of Oxford University, to settlements for Ugandan refugees from West Nile Province, Uganda.
For other oil lamps made from recycled containers, see 1985.24.12-14. These have all been made in the same way, and can be compared with 1998.9.7, a toy aeroplane made from recycled aluminium and incorporating a lamp nozzle of the type seen here. Note that none of these lamps have been provided with wicks.
Rachael Sparks 29/9/2005.
The body below consists of a short, cylindrical neck, made from a sheet of metal rolled into a cylinder, with the unprinted side of the metal facing outwards. This has been soldered onto a broad conical shoulder piece with central hole, cut from a powdered milk container, with part of a large glass or jug of frothy milk visible on a blue background (Pantone 2925C), with the message "[F]ull Cream Powd[er]", part of a red design above, and "Contains Vitamin A D3, C [...]" along the base of the fragment. The shoulder has been soldered onto the top of a cylindrical body, made from the lower part of a soft drink can. The can has a seam down one side, and groove around the body just above the ring base, which is not stamped. The can has been printed with a black background, red and white geometric shapes and white text that appears in both English and Greek script. Around the centre is a row of red lozenges (Pantone 1797C), with the lower part of similar lozenges at their tips, printed with the logo of a palm tree with the phrase 'afri cola' across its bough. There is a circular logo near the upper edge, that is printed in red 'Campania Hellas' around an image of a plant; and a rectangular logo near the base of a man throwing rubbish into a bin. The words 'TRADE MARK' appear at the base of one of the cola images, while a block of sideways text runs down parallel to the seam, reading "330 ml 11,6 fl oz A.X. Σ . 3100/80 A.Y. Σ . 3093/81" then "SOFTDRINK WITH CAFFEINE CONTAINS: CARBONATED WAT[ER...] PHOSPHOIC & MINERAL & MALIC ACID, NATURAL FLAV[OR...] AUTHORITY OF THE AFRI-COLA BLUNA GMBH, COLOGNE [...] BY CAMPANIA ELLAS S.A., THESS[AL]ONIKI/GREECE TEL [...]". Along the base of the printed area there is further script, in Greek, that reads: " ΓΕΡΜΑΝΙΚΟ ΠΡΟΙΟΝ AFRICOLA ΣΥΣΚΕΥΑΖΟΜΕΝΟ ΥΡΟ ΤΗΣ ΚΑΜΠΑΝΙΑ ΕΛΛΑΣ ΑΕΒΕ ΜΕ[...] ΓΚΡΙΣΗ ΕΚΧΥΛΙΣΜΑΤΑ, ΦΥΣΙΚΑ ΑΙΘΕΡΙΑ ΕΛΑΙΑ, [...] ΘΕΙΝΗ 0,015%, ΒΕΝΖ. ΝΑΤΡ. ΟΛΙΓΩΤΕΡΟ ΤΟΥ 0.01% ΤΗΛ. ΑΘΗΝΩΝ [...] 94,25969−9 ΘΕΣΣΑΛΟΝΙΚΙ: ΤΛ: 031/[...]1534−0394/61213 ". Finally, a thin strip of metal, probably cut from the same powdered milk container, with white writing on a blue and red background and some splashes of a pale green paint over the top, has been bent into a loop and soldered to the edge of the shoulder and midway down the body to form a vertical strap handle on one side. The lamp is complete, with patches of surface rust and some surface scratches; the nozzle, which is made as a removable piece, has rusted into its current position. It has a weight of 46.5 grams, and is 130 mm high. The nozzle has a diameter of 7.3 mm, while the neck diameter is 21.7 mm, the shoulder measures 67.5 mm across, and the base is 65 mm in diameter. The strap handle is 6.8 mm wide and 29.5 mm long.
Purchased in Yei market sometime between July and September 1984 by the Lutaya Expedition, a seven-member research and support expedition from the Third World Society of Oxford University, to settlements for Ugandan refugees from West Nile Province, Uganda.
For other oil lamps made from recycled containers, see 1985.24.12-14. These have all been made in the same way, and can be compared with 1998.9.7, a toy aeroplane made from recycled aluminium and incorporating a lamp nozzle of the type seen here. Note that none of these lamps have been provided with wicks.
Rachael Sparks 29/9/2005.
Primary Documentation:
Accession Book Entry
[p.
68] - 1985.24 (.1 - 14) P[urchase] LUTAYA EXPEDITION, c/o B.
E.
HARRELL-BOND, ...
OXFORD.
A collection of items made by the Lutaya Expedition to YEI RIVER DISTRICT, EQUATORIA, SUDAN, 1984.
This was a seven-member research and support expedition from the Third World Society of Oxford University, to settlements for Ugandan refugees from West Nile Province, Uganda.
See Related Documents File for notes and field photographs.
".11 - 14 SUDAN - EQUATORIA - YEI.
[1 of] Four oil lamps, made from Heineken beer (.1) [1985.24.11], pesticide (.2) [1985.24.12], Greek orangeade (.3) [1985.24.13], and 'Africola' & powdered milk (.4) [1985.24.14] tins.
Bought in Yei market.
[...].4: H = 127mm; dia = 64mm [initialled in right column] LMC.
Additional Accession Book Entry [p. 71, below the accession number in red biro] - A11-F16-12.
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the catalogue card [MdeA].
Pitt Rivers Museum label - SUDAN, EQUATORIA, YEI. Oil lamp. Purch. Lutaya Expedition. 1985.24.14 [plastic label with metal eyelet, tied to object; RTS 14/7/2005].
Related Documents File - 1985.24, a typed document headed 'Lutaya Expedition to Yei River District, Equatoria, Sudan July-September 1984. Subheading: 'Third world First Society, Oxford University. A seven-member research and support expedition to settlements for Ugandan refugees from West Nile Province, Uganda'. A list follows, describing the objects collected; this appears as part of item 5: 'Four oil lamps. Provenance Yei market. Made from beer, soft drink, pesticide and milk tins'. Several black and white photographic prints are enclosed: boy with toy truck; female potter at work; male blacksmith making arrows at Limbe; men playing the adungu at Limbe [RTS 6/1/2004].
Additional Accession Book Entry [p. 71, below the accession number in red biro] - A11-F16-12.
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the catalogue card [MdeA].
Pitt Rivers Museum label - SUDAN, EQUATORIA, YEI. Oil lamp. Purch. Lutaya Expedition. 1985.24.14 [plastic label with metal eyelet, tied to object; RTS 14/7/2005].
Related Documents File - 1985.24, a typed document headed 'Lutaya Expedition to Yei River District, Equatoria, Sudan July-September 1984. Subheading: 'Third world First Society, Oxford University. A seven-member research and support expedition to settlements for Ugandan refugees from West Nile Province, Uganda'. A list follows, describing the objects collected; this appears as part of item 5: 'Four oil lamps. Provenance Yei market. Made from beer, soft drink, pesticide and milk tins'. Several black and white photographic prints are enclosed: boy with toy truck; female potter at work; male blacksmith making arrows at Limbe; men playing the adungu at Limbe [RTS 6/1/2004].
Display History:
Displayed in the exhibition 'Transformations - The Art of Recycling', Pitt Rivers Museum, 25th March 2000 to Easter 2002 [LP 7/6/2000].
