Shilluk arm ornament
Other views of this artifact:
Accession Number:
1903.16.108 .1
Country:
Sudan
Region:
[Southern Sudan] [Upper Nile]
Cultural Group:
Shilluk
Date Made:
By 1903
Materials:
Elephant Nail Animal? , Elephant Bone Animal?
Process:
Carved
Dimensions:
Max L across armlet = 72.8 mm Max W = 67.4 mm Max Ht = 15 mm [RTS 24/3/2004].
Weight:
31.1 g
Other Owners:
Collected by Donald Gunn in the Southern Sudan and presented to the Pitt Rivers Museum in 1903. Museum records do not give a specific provenance for this item, but Gunn appears to have collected Shilluk material from the ‘White Nile’, ‘Upper Nile’, Kodok
Field Collector:
Donald Gunn
PRM Source:
Donald Gunn
Acquired:
Donated 1903
Collected Date:
By 1903
Description:
Annular armlet carved in one piece, apparently from part of an elephant toe.
This is flat on the inner face, where it would fit around the arm, flat on both upper and lower surfaces, and then concave on the outer face.
It is essentially complete and intact, with some splits or flaws around the inner and outer circumference and some minor damage on the underside where the surface has laminated off near the edge.
The object also has patches of wear on opposite sides, perhaps where it has rubbed against the owner's body.
The colour ranges from a light brown (Pantone 465C) to a dark brown (Pantone black 7C).
The length across the armlet is 72.8 mm, the width across it 67.4 mm; the dimensions across the inside edges are 57 x 56 mm, with a thickness of 7.2 mm and a height of 15 mm.
The armlet weighs 31.1 grams.
Collected by Donald Gunn in the Southern Sudan and presented to the Pitt Rivers Museum in 1903. Museum records give only the generic provenance of ‘Upper Nile’ for this item; Gunn appears to have collected Shilluk material from the ‘White Nile’, ‘Upper Nile’, Kodok and Bor, Nuer material from around Lake No, Dinka material from the ‘White Nile’ and Arab material from Omdurman.
This appears to have been part of a pair of armlets; for the other example, see 1903.16.108.2, and for a second pair, see 1903.16.109.1-.2.
Rachael Sparks 18/9/2005.
Collected by Donald Gunn in the Southern Sudan and presented to the Pitt Rivers Museum in 1903. Museum records give only the generic provenance of ‘Upper Nile’ for this item; Gunn appears to have collected Shilluk material from the ‘White Nile’, ‘Upper Nile’, Kodok and Bor, Nuer material from around Lake No, Dinka material from the ‘White Nile’ and Arab material from Omdurman.
This appears to have been part of a pair of armlets; for the other example, see 1903.16.108.2, and for a second pair, see 1903.16.109.1-.2.
Rachael Sparks 18/9/2005.
Primary Documentation:
Accession Book Entry
[III, p.
110] - 1903 [pencil insert] 16 [end insert]
DR
D.
GUNN
Esq., M.B.
40 Dover Street, London, W.
June.
[...] [p.
113] - The following from the Shilluk tribe, Upper Nile.
viz: [pencil insert] 108-109 [end insert] - 2 armlets of elephant toe (?).
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the tribes catalogue card [RTS 23/7/2004].
Old Pitt Rivers Museum label - SHILLUK armlet, UPPER NILE. Pres. by Dr Gunn, 1903 [rectangular tag with metal edging, tied to 1903.16.108.2; RTS 16/3/2004].
New Pitt Rivers Museum label - AFRICAM SUDAN Upper Nile SHILLUK Annular armlet of elephant toe Donated Donald Gunn 1903 1903.16.108.1 [LM 'DCF 2004-2006 What's Upstairs?' 12/10/2005]
Written on object - SHILLUK, UPPER NILE, d.d. Dr D. Gunn 1903 [RTS 16/3/2004].
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the tribes catalogue card [RTS 23/7/2004].
Old Pitt Rivers Museum label - SHILLUK armlet, UPPER NILE. Pres. by Dr Gunn, 1903 [rectangular tag with metal edging, tied to 1903.16.108.2; RTS 16/3/2004].
New Pitt Rivers Museum label - AFRICAM SUDAN Upper Nile SHILLUK Annular armlet of elephant toe Donated Donald Gunn 1903 1903.16.108.1 [LM 'DCF 2004-2006 What's Upstairs?' 12/10/2005]
Written on object - SHILLUK, UPPER NILE, d.d. Dr D. Gunn 1903 [RTS 16/3/2004].
