Southern Larim bowl

1979.20.168

Sudan

[Southern Sudan] Eastern Equatoria Loryok

Southern Larim

By March 1979

Gourd Plant

Hollowed , Dried , Decorated , Incised , Burnished

Ht = 150, L = 301, W = 145, th walls = 4 mm [RTS 24/3/2005].

166.5 g

Purchased by Jill Goudie for 75 piastres from the base camp at Loryok for the British Institute in Eastern Africa's Expedition to the Southern Sudan, headed by Patti Langton, between 20th and 25th March 1979 [RTS 12/5/2004].

Jill Goudie

Patti Langton

Purchased 1979

20 - 25 March 1979

Large gourd bowl for eating from, consisting of a narrow rounded rim on an upright body with convex sides to a convex base. The rim is pinched in slightly on either side, creating an peanut-shaped plan view to the object; these constrictions come from the natural shape of the original gourd. The material has a light yellowish cream body, discoloured a matt grayish yellow on the interior surface (Pantone 7508C), and smooth reddish orange exterior (Pantone 725C) that has been burnished. The upper part of the outer walls have been decorated with an incised pattern, consisting of 2 broad bands running around the circumference. Each is made up of 2 parallel lines; triangles are pendant from the top line, and point up from the base line with their tips just touching; this creates a series of reserved lozenges in the spaces between. Each triangle has been filled with incised crosshatching. The upper band is interrupted below the thickened pinched in side of the rim, while the lower one continues around the body unbroken. Below these is a third, narrower band, filled with crosshatching. The execution is irregular, and the bands themselves undulate somewhat. The bowl is complete, but a small portion of the rim has been mended. There are some stains and residues on the interior surface, and traces of insect bore holes; the base underside has a large worn patch over it, from use. The bowl has a weight of 166.5 grams and is 150 mm high, 301 mm long and 145 mm wide, with walls that are 4 mm thick.

Purchased at Loryok for 75 piastres sometime between 20th and 25th March 1979 by Jill Goudie, an archaeologist who was part of the British Institute in Eastern Africa's Expedition to the Southern Sudan, headed by Patti Langton.

This gourd was used for eating from; its local name has not been recorded. The incised decoration on vessels like this seem to have been applied using the same technique as recorded for the northern Larim. There women use a needle to incise the pattern into the surface, then rub charcoal over the lines to colour them. This technique differs from that used by the Dinka, who mark out their designs in charcoal, cut them into the surface with an iron needle then burn them in using a heated spear or knife blade (for an example of this method, see 1979.20.91). This particular vessel has a similar decorative design to that used on gourd bowls 1979.20.163-4 and 1979.20.167.

Rachael Sparks 18/8/2005.

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 alootment of the collection do not appear on her list and have been added here. See Related Documents file as well. [p. 204] 1979.20.136 - 193 SOUTHERN SUDAN the LARIM The Larim live about 50 miles west of Kapoeta in the eastern corner of S. Sudan. They are a non-Nilotic pastoral people, living in permanent mountain villages. They are part of the Didinga-Longarim-Murle language group. They live in the Boya Hills - Boya is the Topasa (neighbouring group) name for the Larim, which is also used by the Administration. Longarim is the Didinga's name for them but they call themselves the Larim, and that is used here. [p. 205] The LARIM The collection was made in two parts. The "PL" labelled material was collected during Pat Langton's stay in a village in the Northern Larim area. The "∆" labelled material was collected by Jill Goudie, one of the archaeologists on the Expedition, from the base camp LARYOK, among the Southern Larim. Money is known among the Larim but it is used only for buying beads for women from Kapoeta, or for the few members of the group who would go to Juba. The women especially were more interested in exchange gifts of salt, cloth & soap. The Larim material is documented in three parts: a) General Larim pieces - no information as to which section of the Larim it comes from b) the "PL" Collection from the Northern Larim, from three of the eight Northern Larim clans c) the Southern Larim material collected by Jill Goudie, numbered "∆". [p. 210] 1979.20.163 - 193 SOUTHERN LARIM: Collected by Jill Goudie between 20.3 and 25.3.79 [210] 1979.20.168 Eating gourd without a handle. L = 30.1 cm. Probably coll. no. ∆9 but not on list. Cost 75 pt.
Additional Accession Book Entry [below accession number in red biro] - A5-F35-5.

Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the tribes catalogue card [RTS 26/5/2004].

Written on object - 9 [in triangle, pencil]; S. SUDAN, S. LARIM, P. Langton Coll. 9 [in triangle], 1979.20.168 [white ink; RTS 23/3/2005].

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. This item appears in Langton's list under the heading 'Southern Larim. These were all collected between 20.3.79 and 25.3.79', as 'eating gourd with no handle. 75 pt' [RTS 12/1/2004].