Pitt Rivers Museum Luo Visual History

photograph scan of PRM number 1998.204.14.51

1998.204.14.51 (Postcard black and white)

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Key Information

Photographer

Missioni della Consolata, Turin

Description

A head and shoulders postcard portrait of a Luo elder wearing a headdress. He is heavily and expensively adorned in traditional attire and must be a significant elder. Around his head is a metal band which may be called ataka in Kijaluo. This metal band holds a number of items on his head including wild pig or hippo tusk (lak rao) and a wig of vegetable fibre. His ears are richly and heavily adorned with metal and bead earrings (ngaga) which was worn only by respected elderly persons. His neck is also heavily adorned with wild pig or hippo tusk and ostrich egg-shell beads (rek). [Gilbert Oteyo 21/04/2005]

Cultural Group

Luo

Region

Nyanza

Pitt Rivers Source

Unknown

Primary Documentation

Notes on postcard mech. printed - 'East African Types no. 10 Jaluo Kavirondo'

Date of Photograph

1920 circa

Accession number

1998.204.14.51

Further Information

Photographic Process

Photomechanical

Date Acquired

Unknown

For citation use:
Pitt Rivers Museum Luo Visual History "1998.204.14.51" 6 Jun. 2008. Pitt Rivers Museum. Accessed 19 Nov. 2015 <http://photos.prm.ox.ac.uk/luo/photo/1998.204.14.51/>.

© Pitt Rivers Museum