Northern Larim arm ornament
Other views of this artifact:
Accession Number:
1979.20.145
Country:
Sudan
Region:
[Southern Sudan] Eastern Equatoria Lomachada
Cultural Group:
Northern Larim
Date Made:
By 1979
Materials:
Animal Tail , Cattle Skin Animal , Animal Hide Skin
Process:
Plaited
Dimensions:
L = 600 mm, W plaited band = 7.5 mm, Th plaited band = 6 mm, W hide strips = 3 mm, Th hide strips = 1 mm [RTS 13/4/2004].
Local Name:
nyerita (nyatopes)
Other Owners:
Purchased by Patti Langton for 50 piastres at the home of the potter, Kisawo clan area Lomachada village, on 21st March 1979 [RTS 13/4/2004].
Field Collector:
Patti Langton
PRM Source:
Patti Langton
Acquired:
Purchased 1979
Collected Date:
21 March 1979
Description:
Upper arm ornament consisting of a long tassel made from the tail of a cow, with pale golden coloured hairs (Pantone 466C) mixed with the occasional black hair, and still attached to a strip of hide which has been rolled into a cylinder to form a tassel.
It is not clear if this tail has been attached to the body of the ornament or whether it continues as one piece, with the hide cut into six narrow strips.
These strips still have some hair attached, and have been tightly plaited to form a short length of hide with square section, a light yellowish brown in colour (Pantone 465C).
The object has been left unfinished, with the upper ends of these hide strips deliberately left unplaited in order to show the method of manufacture.
This part would otherwise have been shaped into an arm band.
The object is complete and in good condition.
The object is around 600 mm long, with the plaited section having a length of 100 mm and the tail section a length of 300 mm.
The plaited section measures 7.5 by 6 mm, and each strip that goes to make up the plaiting has a width of 3 mm and a thickness of 1 mm.
Purchased by Patti Langton for 50 piastres on 21st March 1979, at the home of the potter of Lomachada Village, in the Kisawo clan area. Langton was director of the British Institute in Eastern Africa's Expedition to the Southern Sudan.
This ornament is known as nyerita, or occasionally by its Toposa name of nyatopes , and is worn by men for dancing and during marriage ceremonies. For a finished example, see 1979.20.144. This ornament also comes in a larger version, which is known as nyalodor.
Rachael Sparks 8/9/2005.
Purchased by Patti Langton for 50 piastres on 21st March 1979, at the home of the potter of Lomachada Village, in the Kisawo clan area. Langton was director of the British Institute in Eastern Africa's Expedition to the Southern Sudan.
This ornament is known as nyerita, or occasionally by its Toposa name of nyatopes , and is worn by men for dancing and during marriage ceremonies. For a finished example, see 1979.20.144. This ornament also comes in a larger version, which is known as nyalodor.
Rachael Sparks 8/9/2005.
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 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.
206] 1979.20.140 - 148 NORTH LARIM/BOYA KISAWO CLAN AREA LOMACHADA VILLAGE 21-3-79 [p.
207] 1979.20.145 Upper arm ornament similar to 1979.20.144 [Cowtail upper arm ornament,
nyerita
...
worn by men for dancing and during marriage ceremonies].
Left unfinished to show the method of plaiting.
Total L = ca.
60 cm.
Coll.
no.
PL 13.
Cost 50 pt.
Additional Accession Book Entry [below accession number in red biro] - A5-F35-30.
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the catalogue card [RTS 24/5/2004].
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. This item appears in Langton's list under the heading 'purchased at the home of the potter, Kisawo clan area Lomachada village', with comment 'As PL 12. Unfinished to show method of plaiting'. [RTS 12/1/2004].
Pitt Rivers Museum label - AFRICA, SUDAN, Lomachada Village NORTHERN LARIM (Boya Kisawo clan area) Upper arm ornament with cow tail tassel, left unfinished Purchased P. Langton (PL.13) 1979.20.145 [LM 'DCF 2004-2006 What's Upstairs?' 12/10/2005]
Additional Accession Book Entry [below accession number in red biro] - A5-F35-30.
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the catalogue card [RTS 24/5/2004].
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. This item appears in Langton's list under the heading 'purchased at the home of the potter, Kisawo clan area Lomachada village', with comment 'As PL 12. Unfinished to show method of plaiting'. [RTS 12/1/2004].
Pitt Rivers Museum label - AFRICA, SUDAN, Lomachada Village NORTHERN LARIM (Boya Kisawo clan area) Upper arm ornament with cow tail tassel, left unfinished Purchased P. Langton (PL.13) 1979.20.145 [LM 'DCF 2004-2006 What's Upstairs?' 12/10/2005]
