Larim jar
Other views of this artifact:
Accession Number:
1979.20.139
Country:
Sudan
Region:
[Southern Sudan] Eastern Equatoria
Cultural Group:
Larim
Date Made:
By 1979
Materials:
Pottery
Process:
Handbuilt , Fire-Hardened , Burnished , Decorated , Impressed , Repaired (local) ?
Dimensions:
Ht = 325, rim diam = 158, body diam = 260, wall th = 7 mm [RTS 3/8/2005].
Weight:
> 1000 g
Other Owners:
Collected by Patti Langton, probably between 20th and 25th March 1979 [RTS 27/5/2004].
Field Collector:
Patti Langton
PRM Source:
Patti Langton
Acquired:
Purchased 1979
Collected Date:
20 - 25 March 1979
Description:
Pottery jar, hand made from a moderately well levigated fabric with some quartz and small mica inclusions, fired gray at core and red at margins, and covered with a reddish brown slip (Pantone 4695C), fired black in places.
The jar has an everted, rounded rim and short concave neck, flaring out to an ovoid body with convex shoulder and base; it is roughly circular in plan view.
The surface has been burnished on the rim interior, and over most of the exterior, excepting the lower body and base which has been left matt.
The shoulder of the vessel has been decorated with 2 impressed bands that run around the circumference and are roughly parallel, said to have been done with a roulette.
These have left a sharp line across the top edge of the band, then 2 rows of oval beading that stands proud of the surface; the rouletting has been applied by hand, rather than mechanically.
The upper band forms a complete circuit; the lower band has a break where the two ends meet, with one end angling downwards and overlapping the other slightly.
Tool marks are also visible over much of the surface, including short vertical tooling around the shoulder and horizontal scrapings around the body below.
The body of the vessel is intact, but it has broken at the rim, leaving the mouth only two thirds complete.
There is also some damage to the interior wall surface, and a small hole through the shoulder, which is partially covered by accretions on the outer face, possibly deliberately applied dung as a form of repair.
It has a weight in excess of 1000 grams, a height of 325 mm, rim diameter of 158 mm, and maximum body diameter of 260 mm; the walls are 7 mm thick at the neck.
Collected by Patti Langton; records do not indicate the exact place or date these were obtained, but Langton appears to have been collecting Larim material from the Eastern Equatoria district between 20th and 25th March 1979. No information was provided on how this type of vessel would be used.
For Larim grass roulettes, used in decorating pottery vessels, see 1979.20.149. A number of South Sudanese clays seem to contain particles of mica, including those used by the Moru Misa (1979.20.33), Larim (1979.20.138), Zande and Bongo (P.M. Larken, 1926, "An Account of the Zande", Sudan Notes and Records IX no. 1, p. 4; G. Schweinfurth, 1873, In the Heart of Africa Volume I, p. 292; Volume II, p. 25).
Rachael Sparks 29/8/2005.
Collected by Patti Langton; records do not indicate the exact place or date these were obtained, but Langton appears to have been collecting Larim material from the Eastern Equatoria district between 20th and 25th March 1979. No information was provided on how this type of vessel would be used.
For Larim grass roulettes, used in decorating pottery vessels, see 1979.20.149. A number of South Sudanese clays seem to contain particles of mica, including those used by the Moru Misa (1979.20.33), Larim (1979.20.138), Zande and Bongo (P.M. Larken, 1926, "An Account of the Zande", Sudan Notes and Records IX no. 1, p. 4; G. Schweinfurth, 1873, In the Heart of Africa Volume I, p. 292; Volume II, p. 25).
Rachael Sparks 29/8/2005.
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.
205] 1979.20.136 - 139 GENERAL LARIM [p.
206] 1979.20.139 Pottery jar of burnished red ware.
Everted rim.
Two bands of roulette decoration around the shoulder.
Rounded base.
H = ca.
32 cm.; Diam.
rim = 16 cm.
Coll.
no.
16.
Additional Accession Book Entry [below accession number in red biro] - A5-F23-2 A5-F35-25.
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the catalogue card [RTS 24/5/2004].
Written on object - 16 [white chalk, base interior]; S. SUDAN ARIM P. Langton Coll., 16, 1979.20.139 [white ink, rim; RTS 3/8/2005].
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. There is also a black and white photograph of this object is enclosed, marked on back in red 'Larim', then '1979.20.139 number 16 red ware; no decoration around rim', with a PRM stamp and reference A5 F23. The file also contains a letter from John Mack (Museum of Mankind) to Lynn Williamson (PRM), dated 1st July 1980, regarding discrepancies in the division of the Langton material; this states that he had 'written on the back of your photographs where in each case the pots appear to come from. I think it is accurate.' This is probably the marking done in red pen; the biro matches Lynn Williamson's handwriting on some accompanying notes, which further describe this object 'Tall pot, red ware, very rounded base (doesn't stand freely). 2 horiz. bands of roulette decoration around shoulder, widely everted rim (no decoration). [RTS 6/1/2004].
Additional Accession Book Entry [below accession number in red biro] - A5-F23-2 A5-F35-25.
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the catalogue card [RTS 24/5/2004].
Written on object - 16 [white chalk, base interior]; S. SUDAN ARIM P. Langton Coll., 16, 1979.20.139 [white ink, rim; RTS 3/8/2005].
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. There is also a black and white photograph of this object is enclosed, marked on back in red 'Larim', then '1979.20.139 number 16 red ware; no decoration around rim', with a PRM stamp and reference A5 F23. The file also contains a letter from John Mack (Museum of Mankind) to Lynn Williamson (PRM), dated 1st July 1980, regarding discrepancies in the division of the Langton material; this states that he had 'written on the back of your photographs where in each case the pots appear to come from. I think it is accurate.' This is probably the marking done in red pen; the biro matches Lynn Williamson's handwriting on some accompanying notes, which further describe this object 'Tall pot, red ware, very rounded base (doesn't stand freely). 2 horiz. bands of roulette decoration around shoulder, widely everted rim (no decoration). [RTS 6/1/2004].
