Pitt Rivers Museum Luo Visual History
1998.204.14.29 (Postcard black and white)
Key Information
Photographer
Missioni della Consolata, Turin
Description
This is an elaborately dressed Luo man riding a well-trained ox (rwath). He is dressed as one who is attending a funeral, but the background context looks like a large organized display or show, with a line of schoolchildren watching some activity. The headdress is unusually large and probably constructed from a large leather or basket shape covered in plumes of ostritch feather (kondo udo). The distinctively shaped Luo shield (okumba) behind him with geometric designs is probably made from ox or even buffalo hide. The man is decorated with ochre on the legs (and probably face also). The mans ankle is adorned with a wound metal anklet and jingles (gara). This kind of gear is usually adorned by energetic middle-aged men who after a burial engage in the funeral ritual called tero buru (driving away death). [Gilbert Oteyo 21/04/2005]
Cultural Group
Luo
Region
Nyanza
Pitt Rivers Source
Unknown
Primary Documentation
In Negative - 'Kavirondo on Riding Ox'
Date of Photograph
1920 circa
Accession number
1998.204.14.29
Further Information
Photographic Process
Photomechanical
Date Acquired
Unknown
Activity
Ritual Activity
For citation use:
Pitt Rivers Museum Luo Visual History
"1998.204.14.29"
6 Jun. 2008. Pitt Rivers Museum.
Accessed 19 Nov. 2015
<http://photos.prm.ox.ac.uk/luo/photo/1998.204.14.29/>.
© Pitt Rivers Museum