Dinka Tuich pendant
Other views of this artifact:
Accession Number:
1979.20.65
Country:
Sudan
Region:
[Southern Sudan] Northern Bahr el Ghazal ?Dhangrial ?Wun Rog ?Mayen
Cultural Group:
Dinka Tuich
Date Made:
By 1979
Materials:
Animal Ivory Tooth
Process:
Recycled , Carved , Perforated , Polished
Dimensions:
Max W = 67.5 mm Max L = 57.8 mm Min Th = 6.5 mm Max Th = 9 mm
Weight:
24.7 g
Local Name:
magar
Other Owners:
Purchased by Patti Langton for £1.50 on 20th February 1979 as part of the British Institute in Eastern Africa's Expedition to the Southern Sudan [RTS 14/5/2004].
Field Collector:
Patti Langton
PRM Source:
Patti Langton
Acquired:
Purchased 1979
Collected Date:
20 February 1979
Description:
Annular pendant counterpoise for a bead necklace, carved from a single piece of creamy yellow ivory (Pantone 134C), that has been polished on all surfaces.
This has a flat front and back surface and slightly convex outer edges, and is almost oval in plan view, with a slightly pointed underside due to an irregularity on the outer face.
It has been pierced with two holes through the upper body, which would have been used to attach the pendant to a necklace.
A large oval hole has been cut out of the centre of the object, leaving a flat inside edge, except for the lower part which is serrated.
The reason for this feature is not clear, unless it reflects the shape of another object, made from this central, cutaway piece of ivory.
The pendant itself is said to have been made from a reused, broken ivory armlet; presumably this was taken as a slice cut from one side, and may explain the irregular thickness which ranges from 6.5 to 9 mm.
It is complete, but has been mended from two joining fragments and still has some cracks visible on the surface.
The pendant has a width of 67.5 mm and is 57.8 mm long, with the inside edges measuring 47 by 34 mm; the perforations have a diameter of 3 mm, and the object weighs 24.7 grams.
Purchased by Patti Langton on 20th February 1979 for £1.50, as part of the British Institute in East Africa's expedition to the southern Sudan. The place of collection was not specified, but would have been either Dhangrial, Wun Rog or Mayen, all of which like in the modern administrative district of 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.
This ornament is known as magar, and would have been attached to a beaded necklace and worn at the back of the neck. They are worn by both men and women, and manufactured from broken ivory arm ornaments. As this example appears to have been carved from a single piece of ivory, it must have been removed as a thin slice cut from one side of a thick arm band.
Rachael Sparks 25/9/2005.
Purchased by Patti Langton on 20th February 1979 for £1.50, as part of the British Institute in East Africa's expedition to the southern Sudan. The place of collection was not specified, but would have been either Dhangrial, Wun Rog or Mayen, all of which like in the modern administrative district of 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.
This ornament is known as magar, and would have been attached to a beaded necklace and worn at the back of the neck. They are worn by both men and women, and manufactured from broken ivory arm ornaments. As this example appears to have been carved from a single piece of ivory, it must have been removed as a thin slice cut from one side of a thick arm band.
Rachael Sparks 25/9/2005.
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! [p.
194] 1979.20.65 Ivory neck ornament,
magar
.
This would have been attached to a bead necklace, with the
magar
pendant worn at the back of the neck by both men and women.
Fashioned from broken ivory arm bands.
L = 6.8 cm.; thickness = ca.
7 cm.
Coll.
20.2.79; £1.50.
Coll.
no.
144.
Additional Accession Book Entry [below accession number in red biro] - A5-F33-9.
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the catalogue card [RTS 9/3/2004].
Pitt Rivers Museum label - AFRICA, SUDAN Dinka Tuich Ivory neck ornament Purch. P. Langton, no. 144 1979.20.65 [EC 'DCF 2004-2006 What's Upstairs?' 7/10/2005]
Additional Accession Book Entry [below accession number in red biro] - A5-F33-9.
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the catalogue card [RTS 9/3/2004].
Pitt Rivers Museum label - AFRICA, SUDAN Dinka Tuich Ivory neck ornament Purch. P. Langton, no. 144 1979.20.65 [EC 'DCF 2004-2006 What's Upstairs?' 7/10/2005]
