Southern Larim headrest
Other views of this artifact:
Accession Number:
1979.20.174
Country:
Sudan
Region:
[Southern Sudan] Eastern Equatoria Loryok
Cultural Group:
Southern Larim
Date Made:
By March 1979
Materials:
Wood Plant , Rubber Plant
Process:
Carved , Perforated , Knotted , Burnt
Dimensions:
Ht = 174, seat L = 167, W = 72, th = 21; pedestal max w = 60, th = 17.7, diam hole = 6; base L = 79, W = 76; carrying loop L = 100, W = 5.4, th = 4.5 mm [RTS 1/6/2005]. L = 168 mm H = 165 mm
Weight:
240.4 g
Local Name:
teget
Other Owners:
Purchased by Jill Goudie for £1, 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].
Field Collector:
Jill Goudie
PRM Source:
Patti Langton
Acquired:
Purchased 1979
Collected Date:
20 - 25 March 1979
Description:
Headrest carved from a single piece of orangey brown wood (Pantone 730C), with an oiled surface that has darkened in places and probably changed the original colour of the wood.
This consists of a narrow seat at the top with a sub-rectangular plan view - very slightly concave down the long sides but then turning out to convexly cut ends.
The seat is slightly concave along its length and markedly convex across its width.
It has a concave underside, with a tall pedestal foot extending from its centre, rectangular in section with slightly concave sides that flare out to the foot, which is hemispherical in shape and hollowed out inside with a sharp point at its apex; this area could be used to store fat for greasing the surface of the wood.
The pedestal body and foot have been carved to meet with a distinct line.
The pedestal has been pierced through the centre of its top and bottom, and a carrying loop fitted through the holes.
The loop has been made from a narrow strip of rubber (Pantone black 7C), the ends of which have been secured with knots on the other side of the holes.
A narrow channel has been burnt along the underside of the seat, corresponding to the position of the top of this loop and of roughly similar width.
The opposite edge of the underside has also had 3 short channels burnt into the surface, although in this case they look either accidental or decorative, and they do not extend all the way to the pedestal.
The seat is complete and intact, with use wear across the upper surface and traces of red ochre or pigment on the seat underside; the rubber of the handle is beginning to perish and has some damage from a former label that was tied around it and there is some surface damage to the pedestal, probably from old insect activity.
It has a weight of 240.4 grams, and is 174 mm high; the seat is 167 mm long, 72 mm wide and 21 mm thick; the pedestal has a maximum width of 60 mm and is 17.7 mm thick, with a hole diameter of 6 mm; the base is 79 mm long and 76 mm wide, and the carrying loop is 100 mm long, 5.4 mm wide and 4.5 mm thick.
Purchased by Jill Goudie at Loryok for £1 sometime between 20th and 25th March 1979, as part of the British Institute in Eastern Africa's Expedition to the Southern Sudan, headed by Patti Langton.
This headrest is of similar design to 1979.20.172-3, but differs in minor respects; it lacks the bevelled collar edge to the foot, and has a differently shaped seat. Langton tells us that the local name for this type of object is teget; this would appear to be a variant style of that form. According to the record for 1979.20.172, these headrests were used by men for sitting or sleeping, and would be carried to their in-laws' house, while the hollowed base was sometimes used as a storage compartment for fat, which would be used to oil the headrest before using it. All 3 Larim examples collected by Langton have a greasy surface that suggests they had been oiled in this way. For a similar style of headrest is also used by the Toposa, see 1979.20.201; this shares the hollow underside to the foot.
John Mack discusses South Sudanese headrests, commenting that in recent times they are found amongst transhumant groups who use them to protect elaborate hairstyles, and that this particular type of headrest is used by the Toposa, Didinga and Larim in Sudan, and also across a wide area of northern Uganda, Kenya and in adjacent areas of Ethiopia. The variety with semicircular cut-outs of the seat edges, as seen here, is more restricted in distribution to the Toposa and Larim. Personal items such as knives and tobacco containers are sometimes attached to the central pedestal (J. Mack, 1982, "Material Culture and Ethnic Identity in Southeastern Sudan", p. 117).
Rachael Sparks 23/08/2005.
Purchased by Jill Goudie at Loryok for £1 sometime between 20th and 25th March 1979, as part of the British Institute in Eastern Africa's Expedition to the Southern Sudan, headed by Patti Langton.
This headrest is of similar design to 1979.20.172-3, but differs in minor respects; it lacks the bevelled collar edge to the foot, and has a differently shaped seat. Langton tells us that the local name for this type of object is teget; this would appear to be a variant style of that form. According to the record for 1979.20.172, these headrests were used by men for sitting or sleeping, and would be carried to their in-laws' house, while the hollowed base was sometimes used as a storage compartment for fat, which would be used to oil the headrest before using it. All 3 Larim examples collected by Langton have a greasy surface that suggests they had been oiled in this way. For a similar style of headrest is also used by the Toposa, see 1979.20.201; this shares the hollow underside to the foot.
John Mack discusses South Sudanese headrests, commenting that in recent times they are found amongst transhumant groups who use them to protect elaborate hairstyles, and that this particular type of headrest is used by the Toposa, Didinga and Larim in Sudan, and also across a wide area of northern Uganda, Kenya and in adjacent areas of Ethiopia. The variety with semicircular cut-outs of the seat edges, as seen here, is more restricted in distribution to the Toposa and Larim. Personal items such as knives and tobacco containers are sometimes attached to the central pedestal (J. Mack, 1982, "Material Culture and Ethnic Identity in Southeastern Sudan", p. 117).
Rachael Sparks 23/08/2005.
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 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 [p.
211] 1979.20.174 Wooden headrest similar to 1979.20.172.
Design said to be copied from the Ugandan
dodos
.
L.
top = 16.8 cm.; H.
at center [sic] = 16.5 cm.
Coll.
no.
∆25; cost £1.
Additional Accession Book Entry [below accession number in red biro] - A5-F36-4.
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the catalogue card [RTS 26/5/2004].
Pitt Rivers Museum label - S. SUDAN, SOUTHERN LARIM. Headrest. P. Langton coll., no 25 [in triangle] 1979.20.174 [plastic label with metal eyelet, tied to object; RTS 1/6/2005].
Written on object - 25 [white chalk; RTS 1/6/2005].
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 'As 22. This design is said to be copied from the Ugandan Dodos , but made by Larim'. Number 22 is recorded as 'Headrest TEGET for sitting or sleeping. This style LOPEKADYO is typical. Men use them, carrying them to their in-laws house. Fat is sometimes kept in the base for oiling the headrest when using it' [RTS 12/1/2004].
Additional Accession Book Entry [below accession number in red biro] - A5-F36-4.
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the catalogue card [RTS 26/5/2004].
Pitt Rivers Museum label - S. SUDAN, SOUTHERN LARIM. Headrest. P. Langton coll., no 25 [in triangle] 1979.20.174 [plastic label with metal eyelet, tied to object; RTS 1/6/2005].
Written on object - 25 [white chalk; RTS 1/6/2005].
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 'As 22. This design is said to be copied from the Ugandan Dodos , but made by Larim'. Number 22 is recorded as 'Headrest TEGET for sitting or sleeping. This style LOPEKADYO is typical. Men use them, carrying them to their in-laws house. Fat is sometimes kept in the base for oiling the headrest when using it' [RTS 12/1/2004].
