Dinka Tuich headrest stool

Other views of this artifact:

Accession Number:

1979.20.86

Country:

Sudan

Region:

[Southern Sudan] Northern Bahr el Ghazal ?Dhangrial ?Wun Rog ?Mayen

Cultural Group:

Dinka Tuich

Date Made:

By 1979

Materials:

Wood Plant

Process:

Carved , Polished

Dimensions:

L = 480, Ht = 255, handle W = 53 and 47.5, leg W = 34, 34 and 35.5, seat L = 283, seat W = 62.5, seat th = 54.5 mm [RTS 24/11/2004].

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:

Support used as both a headrest and stool, carved from a single piece of yellow wood (Pantone 7509C) with a stylised shape that is said to imitate a bovine animal. This consists of a narrow rectangular seat or neck rest, that is convex across its width but concave across its length, carefully smoothed and polished. A short handle projects from either end of this, representing the head and tail of the animal, and carved identically into sections of sharply carinated biconical beading, with very slightly convex ends, round in section. The underside of the seat is convex, and has 3 short legs extending from it with flat cut bases. The legs at either end splay out in the same direction and the middle leg - which is positioned closer to one end than the other - is angled in the opposite direction to act as a support. This is an example of 'found form', as the object has been carved from a tree branch whose shape - with 3 subsidiary branches coming off a central limb - already suited the purpose for which it was intended. It is complete, but has numerous splits running horizontally across the seat and handles, and vertically down the legs. There are clear tool marks over most of the body, excepting the upper surface where these have been smoothed away. The object has a total length of 480 mm and a height of 255 mm; the handles have diameters of 47.5 and 53 mm (one is more oval than round in section); the legs have base widths of 34, 34 and 35.5 mm, and the seat area has a length of 283 mm and a width of 62.5 mm, and is 54.5 mm thick.

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 type of object is used as a headrest and seat by men, and for sleeping on by old women. They were once made by specialist men, but not anyone can make them.

Currently on display in the Upper Gallery, Case 26A.

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. 198] 1979.20.86 Wooden headrest in bovine form, used as pillows and for sitting on by men, and for sleeping on by old women. Formerly made by specialist men but now made by anyone. Top L. = 48 cm., H. at center [sic] = 22 cm. Coll. 20.2.79; £1.50. Coll. no. 199.
Additional Accession Book Entry [below accession number in red biro] - A5-F34-26.

Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the catalogue card [RTS 03/03/2004].

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 [RTS 12/1/2004].

Written on object - 199 [pencil, underside of object; RTS 24/11/2004].