Zande youths with drum and gong
104 x 78 mm | Print gelatin silver
There are records relating to alternative images that we do not have scans for in the database:
1998.341.408.1 - Negative film nitrate , (104 x 78 mm)
1998.341.408.1 - Negative film nitrate , (104 x 78 mm)
Condition:
Residual chemical staining [EE 1989]
Date of Print:
Unknown
Previous PRM Number:
EP.A.408
Previous Other Number:
47 3 (+114)
Accession Number:
1998.341.408.2
Description:
Two youths (one playing gong identified as Tabia) playing a skin drum (gaza) and a wooden gong (gugu) in the centre of a compound.
These two instruments formed the basis of most feast dances (gbere buda) as well as the seances of abinza (witchdoctors).
Photographer:
Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard
Date of Photo:
1927 - 1930
Region:
[Southern Sudan] Western Equatoria Yambio
Group:
Zande
NamedPerson:
Tabia
Publication History:
Research publication - Reproduced as Fig.4 (page 76) in Wendy James'
The Ceremonial Animal: a New Portrait of Anthropology
(OUP 2003), with the caption "Preparing for the dance: Zande drums." [CM 17/8/2005]
PRM Source:
Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard
Acquired:
Donated 1966
Other Owners:
E. E. Evans-Pritchard Collection
Class:
Music , Shelter
Keyword:
Musical Instrument Drum , Musical Instrument , Building House
Activity:
Performing
Event:
Dance
Documentation:
Original catalogue lists in Manuscript Collections. Additional material in related documents files. [CM 27/9/2005]
Primary Documentation:
PRM Accession Records - [1966.27.21] G PROFESSOR E.
E.
EVANS-PRITCHARD; INST.
OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY, 51 BANBURY RD.
OXFORD - S.
SUDAN, AZANDE TRIBE.
Box of negatives in envelopes.
Nos.
1 - 400
Added Accession Book Entry - [In pencil in column] Catalogue room.
[1966.27.23] G PROFESSOR E. E. EVANS-PRITCHARD; INST. OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY, 51 BANBURY RD. OXFORD - S. SUDAN, AZANDE TRIBE. Box of prints in envelopes, nos. 1 - 400 (prints of negatives in 1966.27.21)
Manual Catalogues [typewritten, entitled "Zande Photographs (E-P)"] - 408. Youths beating drum and gong. +114
Notes on print/mount - "47/3 114"
Notes on card mount m/s pencil - "rcs 6/87"
Added Accession Book Entry - [In pencil in column] Catalogue room.
[1966.27.23] G PROFESSOR E. E. EVANS-PRITCHARD; INST. OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY, 51 BANBURY RD. OXFORD - S. SUDAN, AZANDE TRIBE. Box of prints in envelopes, nos. 1 - 400 (prints of negatives in 1966.27.21)
Manual Catalogues [typewritten, entitled "Zande Photographs (E-P)"] - 408. Youths beating drum and gong. +114
Notes on print/mount - "47/3 114"
Notes on card mount m/s pencil - "rcs 6/87"
Other Information:
Ethnographic context - In Witchcraft Oracles and magic among the Azande, 1937:101 E.
E.
Evans-Pritchard notes that 'Their great wooden gongs (gugu, also called borua) are Mbomu.
A smaller kind, karakara...came from beyond the Uele.
The skin drum (gaza, ndimo) is Mbomu." In Man and Woman among the Azande, 1974: 115-116 he relates "..when I [the narrator] went through the settlements I told all the youths about the dance.
Some of them told me "we have already heard the dance-gong, that which you beat in the morning." I said to them "all right, I am most eager to dance today." ...
The master of the dance stayed away for a short time and then he came to where we were and saluted ...
He then went to the homestead of the dance and mounted the gong there.
All stopped dancing.
He spoke to them thus 'it is I, Aramasi, who am giving this dance today to lament my younger brother with it.
...
He then got down from the top of the gong.
Balingbandali mounted the gong [to beat it] and Nambaga took possession of the drums...
the dance began in full swing." Two MP3 format recordings of Zande gongs (although in the Congo instead of the Sudan) (entitled bia gaza ('drum song') are available at: http://ilam.ru.ac.za/home/moa/moa038.htm [CM 17/8/2005]
Recorder:
Christopher Morton 6/11/2003 [Southern Sudan Project]
