Bow harp
Accession Number:
1985.24.1
Country:
Sudan
Region:
[Southern Sudan] ?Bahr el Jebel ?Western Equatoria Yei River District Panyume
Maker:
Made by a student and his brothers.
Date Made:
1984
Materials:
Wood Plant , Goat Skin Animal , Nylon Synthetic , Iron Metal
Process:
Carved , Perforated , Stretched , Covered , Twisted Strung , Tied
Dimensions:
Diagonal L from top of neck to end of soundbox = 805; neck diam = 34; tuning peg head diam = 18 x 9, base diam = 8.3, L = 128.3; soundbox L = 310, W = 190, Ht = 73; sound hole diam = 55, string hole diam = 3, string diam = 1.3 mm [RTS 23/9/2005].
Weight:
> 1000 g
Local Name:
adungu
Field Collector:
Lutaya Expedition
PRM Source:
Lutaya Expedition via B.E. Harrell-Bond
Acquired:
Purchased 1985
Collected Date:
July to September 1984
Description:
Bow harp consisting of a curved neck carved from a yellowish branch (Pantone 7508C), stripped of its surface bark, with bevelled upper end and a round sectioned shaft.
The lower end has been fitted into the side of a wooden soundbox.
The neck has been perforated with a row of 9 holes, burnt through the wood and blackened on their interiors.
Faint impressed lines run around the back of each hole, possibly a side-effect of the manufacturing process, a guide to marking out the holes, or for the position of the string.
They have been fitted with solid wooden tuning pegs in a lightweight cream coloured wood (Pantone 7506C to 7507C).
These are roughly paddle-shaped, with flat tops, narrow rectangular bodies that are slightly convex on one side, and concave on the other, than a waisted lower body and tapering round sectioned butt.
These have traces of brown bark on their outer faces.
The harp body has been carved from the same type of wood as the neck, and consists of a narrow flat-topped rim, on upright sides and a flat base. It has an almost triangular plan view, arched at one end and flat at the other. A piece of goat's skin covered in dark brown hair has been stretched tightly over the mouth of this bowl (Pantone 440C) and part-way down the sides; an iron nail has been hammered through this near the straight end of the sound table. A second piece of hide has been used to cover the base; this is also predominantly dark brown with some white patches. Both piece have been perforated around their edges, and stitched together using narrow twisted hide strips, with black and white hair still present on one side; the thongs form a decorative pattern around the sides of the soundbox, with the hair tufts giving them a striped appearance. There is a single, large, circular sound hole cut near the centre of the sound table, and a row of 9 string holes running down the middle. The string carrier is clearly visible, carved from yellow wood with a pointed top, narrow body and rectangular section (Pantone 7508C). This extends from beyond the arched end of the sound box, passing through a hole cut into the skin sound table, and then running beneath the line of string holes, where it is used to secure the strings. These have been made from lengths of a pale cream coloured twisted nylon (Pantone 7401C), and have been knotted around the waisted part of each tuning peg, then wound several times around the shaft in a clockwise direction, before stretching down through the string holes and string carrier, to be tied around short pieces of wood that hold them securely on the other side.
The harp is complete, and was made new for the expedition. Several of the pegs fit only loosely into their peg holes and the second lowest string has broken. It has a weight in excess of 1000 grams. It measures 805 mm from the top of the neck to the end of the soundbox; the neck has a diameter of 34 mm; a typical tuning peg has a head diameter of 18 by 9 mm, is 128.3 mm long, and has a base diameter of 8.3 mm. The soundbox is 310 mm long, with a maximum width of 190 mm, and is 73 mm high; the sound hole has a diameter of 55 mm, the string holes have a diameter of 3 mm and the string a diameter of 1.3 mm.
Collected by the Lutaya Expedition between July and September 1984 at the Panyme Refugee Settlement, which is located in the Yei River District, near the Ugandan border.; this was a seven-member research and support expedition from the Third World Society of Oxford University, to settlements for Ugandan refugees from West Nile Province, Uganda. This example was made specially from the expedition by a student and his brothers, along with 1985.24.2-4; the hide and wood were soaked in a river for around four days. The craftsmen walked about 40 miles with these instruments to sell them to the group. These would be played as a band together with a large bass, and other more improvised instruments such as plastic bowls for drums and two tin lids mounted on a stand as cymbals.
This type of harp is known as adungu. The collector did not specify the cultural group who made or would use this object, but adungu is an term used by the Acholi - see harps 1994.60.1-2 and 1998.9.1 for other examples of the type. For other adungu collected by the Lutaya Expedition, see 1985.24.1 and 1985.24.5 (with different shaped resonator bowls).
Rachael Sparks 29/9/2005.
The harp body has been carved from the same type of wood as the neck, and consists of a narrow flat-topped rim, on upright sides and a flat base. It has an almost triangular plan view, arched at one end and flat at the other. A piece of goat's skin covered in dark brown hair has been stretched tightly over the mouth of this bowl (Pantone 440C) and part-way down the sides; an iron nail has been hammered through this near the straight end of the sound table. A second piece of hide has been used to cover the base; this is also predominantly dark brown with some white patches. Both piece have been perforated around their edges, and stitched together using narrow twisted hide strips, with black and white hair still present on one side; the thongs form a decorative pattern around the sides of the soundbox, with the hair tufts giving them a striped appearance. There is a single, large, circular sound hole cut near the centre of the sound table, and a row of 9 string holes running down the middle. The string carrier is clearly visible, carved from yellow wood with a pointed top, narrow body and rectangular section (Pantone 7508C). This extends from beyond the arched end of the sound box, passing through a hole cut into the skin sound table, and then running beneath the line of string holes, where it is used to secure the strings. These have been made from lengths of a pale cream coloured twisted nylon (Pantone 7401C), and have been knotted around the waisted part of each tuning peg, then wound several times around the shaft in a clockwise direction, before stretching down through the string holes and string carrier, to be tied around short pieces of wood that hold them securely on the other side.
The harp is complete, and was made new for the expedition. Several of the pegs fit only loosely into their peg holes and the second lowest string has broken. It has a weight in excess of 1000 grams. It measures 805 mm from the top of the neck to the end of the soundbox; the neck has a diameter of 34 mm; a typical tuning peg has a head diameter of 18 by 9 mm, is 128.3 mm long, and has a base diameter of 8.3 mm. The soundbox is 310 mm long, with a maximum width of 190 mm, and is 73 mm high; the sound hole has a diameter of 55 mm, the string holes have a diameter of 3 mm and the string a diameter of 1.3 mm.
Collected by the Lutaya Expedition between July and September 1984 at the Panyme Refugee Settlement, which is located in the Yei River District, near the Ugandan border.; this was a seven-member research and support expedition from the Third World Society of Oxford University, to settlements for Ugandan refugees from West Nile Province, Uganda. This example was made specially from the expedition by a student and his brothers, along with 1985.24.2-4; the hide and wood were soaked in a river for around four days. The craftsmen walked about 40 miles with these instruments to sell them to the group. These would be played as a band together with a large bass, and other more improvised instruments such as plastic bowls for drums and two tin lids mounted on a stand as cymbals.
This type of harp is known as adungu. The collector did not specify the cultural group who made or would use this object, but adungu is an term used by the Acholi - see harps 1994.60.1-2 and 1998.9.1 for other examples of the type. For other adungu collected by the Lutaya Expedition, see 1985.24.1 and 1985.24.5 (with different shaped resonator bowls).
Rachael Sparks 29/9/2005.
Primary Documentation:
Accession Book Entry
[p.
68] - 1985.24 (.1 - 14) P[urchase] LUTAYA EXPEDITION, c/o B.
E.
HARRELL-BOND, ...
OXFORD.
A collection of items made by the Lutaya Expedition to YEI RIVER DISTRICT, EQUATORIA, SUDAN, 1984.
This was a seven-member research and support expedition from the Third World Society of Oxford University, to settlements for Ugandan refugees from West Nile Province, Uganda.
See Related Documents File for notes and field photographs.
[1985.24] .1 - 4 SUDAN - EQUATORIA - YEI RIVER DISTRICT - PANYUME REFUGEE SETTLEMENT [1 of a] Set of 4 stringed musical instruments,
adungu
, in different sizes.
The necks and bodies are made of wood, the bodies [p.
69] being covered in goatskin; the strings are nylon.
Made especially for the vendors.
The skin and wood were soaked in a river for 4 days prior to manufacture.
The
adungus
would be played as a band together with a large bass and other improvised instruments such as plastic bowls for drums and 2 tin lids mounted on a stand for cymbals.
See RDF for photographs.
[1985.24] .1: total L = 810 mm; L body = 350 mm; max W = 190 mm; D = 70 mm.
Additional accession book entry [p. 68, under accession number, in red biro] - A11-F16-1, 2, 9, 10.
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the tribes catalogue card [RTS 28/1/2004].
Pitt Rivers Museum label - SUDAN, EQUATORIA, YEI RIVER DISTRICT. PANYUME REFUGEE SETTLEMENT. Stringed instrument, adungu . Purch. Lutaya Expedition 1985.24.1 [plastic label with metal eyelet, tied to object; RTS 22/9/2005].
Related Documents File - 1985.24, a typed document headed 'Lutaya Expedition to Yei River District, Equatoria, Sudan July-September 1984. Subheading: 'Third world First Society, Oxford University. A seven-member research and support expedition to settlements for Ugandan refugees from West Nile Province, Uganda'. A list follows, describing the objects collected; this appears as part of item 1: 'One set of string musical instruments ( ADUNGU ) in four different sizes. From the 'self-settled' refugee area of Panyume (Yei River District, near Ugandan border). Made from wood, goat skin and nylon thread, the skin and wood having been soaked in a river for about 4 days. These would be played as a band together with a large bass, and other more improvised instruments such as plastic bowls for drums and 2 tin lids mounted on a stand as cymbals. These particular ADUNGUS were specially made for us by one student and his brothers who all walked about 40 miles with them to sell them to us' [RTS 6/1/2004].
Additional accession book entry [p. 68, under accession number, in red biro] - A11-F16-1, 2, 9, 10.
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the tribes catalogue card [RTS 28/1/2004].
Pitt Rivers Museum label - SUDAN, EQUATORIA, YEI RIVER DISTRICT. PANYUME REFUGEE SETTLEMENT. Stringed instrument, adungu . Purch. Lutaya Expedition 1985.24.1 [plastic label with metal eyelet, tied to object; RTS 22/9/2005].
Related Documents File - 1985.24, a typed document headed 'Lutaya Expedition to Yei River District, Equatoria, Sudan July-September 1984. Subheading: 'Third world First Society, Oxford University. A seven-member research and support expedition to settlements for Ugandan refugees from West Nile Province, Uganda'. A list follows, describing the objects collected; this appears as part of item 1: 'One set of string musical instruments ( ADUNGU ) in four different sizes. From the 'self-settled' refugee area of Panyume (Yei River District, near Ugandan border). Made from wood, goat skin and nylon thread, the skin and wood having been soaked in a river for about 4 days. These would be played as a band together with a large bass, and other more improvised instruments such as plastic bowls for drums and 2 tin lids mounted on a stand as cymbals. These particular ADUNGUS were specially made for us by one student and his brothers who all walked about 40 miles with them to sell them to us' [RTS 6/1/2004].
