Northern Larim pipe

1979.20.162 .1 .2

Sudan

[Southern Sudan] Eastern Equatoria Napongayit

Northern Larim

By 1979

Brass Metal , Wood Plant , Pottery

Carved , Hammered , Socketed , Modelled , Handbuilt , Fire-Hardened DecoratedIncisedImpressedBurnished

Max L = 238, L moutpiece = 53, diam narrow end = 6.3, diam opening = 5, diam broad end = 10.3 mm; L visible part of wooden stem = 133, diam = 11.3, opening diam = 8 mm; L mouthpiece and stem = 188 mm; L bowl = 60.7, diam upper part = 27.3, opening = 13, d

70.1 g (total), [.1]: 7.4 g, [.2]: 62.7 g.

idjitipado

Purchased at Napongayit by Patti Langton for 50 piastres during the British Institute in East Africa's expedition to the Southern Sudan on the 24th March 1979.

Patti Langton

Patti Langton

Purchased 1979

24 March 1979

Woman's pipe made in 3 parts. The stem [1979.20.162.1] has been made from a cut piece of lightweight yellow wood (Pantone 7403C); this is cylindrical, with a circular section, and has a hollow interior that may be a natural part of the plant, rather than artificially carved out; the wood has a clear longitudinal grain and may belong to the bamboo family. A brass mouthpiece (Pantone 871C) has been force-fitted onto the upper end of this; this has a narrow circular opening, then tapers out slightly to where it joins the wooden stem. There are no clear seams, and it may have been made from a seamless cylinder that was heated and widened at its base. There are some filing marks visible on areas of the surface. At its other end, the stem has been shaved down slightly on its outer face, removing the outer, yellow layer of the wood. This allowed the stem to fit snugly into the separate pipe bowl [1979.20.162.2]. This has been hand made from a well levigated clay with tiny mica inclusions, fired black throughout and burnished over the exterior surfaces (Pantone black 7C). The bowl is hollow throughout. The upper part is cylindrical, with a broad, flat-topped rim; this tapers in slightly, then swells out with a convex sided band that has been covered with finely incised crosshatching; below, the body is plain again, where it joins to the lower part of the bowl, projecting out at right angles. This has a similar convex sided band around its lower part - decorated in this case with 8 horizontal lines, the areas between impressed with a flat edged tool to create a series of raised and depressed areas, similar in appearance to rope or braiding. Above, the top of the bowl flares out towards the rim, which has a flat upper surface, slightly bevelled down to the outer edge. There are traces of white ash inside the base of the bowl. The pipe is largely complete, with only two small chips from the edges of the bowl. It has a total weight of 70.1 grams, with the stem and mouthpiece weighing 7.4 grams, and the pottery bowl 62.7 grams. The total length of the object is 238 mm; the mouthpiece is 53 mm long, with a diameter of 6.3 mm at the narrow end, and 10.3 mm at the wider end; the opening is 5 mm across. The visible part of the wooden stem is 133 mm long, with a diameter of 11.3 mm and an opening measuring 8 mm across. Together, mouthpiece and stem have a length of 188 mm. The pottery bowl is 60.7 mm long; the upper part has a diameter of 27.3 mm and an opening of 13 mm across; the lower part is 41.5 by 41 mm in width, and has an opening that measures 31 mm across.

Purchased at Napongayit in the Kerenge Clan area by Patti Langton for 50 piastres during the British Institute in East Africa's expedition to the Southern Sudan on the 24th March 1979.

This type of lightweight pipe was used by women, and is called idjitipado. It has some similarities to an example from 'The Imatong', collected by Samuel Powell (see 1940.7.087). 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). A tool collected from a Northern Larim potter had traces of this type of clay still adhering to its surface (1979.20.148).

Rachael Sparks 8/9/2005.

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. 208] 1979.20.155 - 162 NORTH LARIM/BOYA; KERENGE CLAN, NAPONGAYIT VILLAGE; 24.3.79 [p. 210] 1979.20.162 Women's pipe, idjitipado , with brass mouthpiece, wooden handle and decorated clay bowl. Total L = 24 cm., Diam. bowl = 4.2 cm. Coll. no. PL 61; cost 50 pt.
Additional Accession Book Entry [below accession number in red biro] - A5-F35-11.

Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the catalogue card [RTS 25/5/2004].

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 in Kerenge clan, Napongayit village, where I was living'. This object also appears on a packing list, under 'Box 2. Longarim. 1 pipe.' [RTS 12/1/2004].