photograph scan of PRM number 1998.209.44.3

1998.209.44.3 (Print black & white)

Key Information

Photographer

Charles William Hobley

Description

These are Luo women going fishing with fishing basket traps (osech kiteng'a - osera means 'woven fishing trap' and kiteng'a is the fishing method of covering the fish in the water with this trap, with its pointed end upwards). Kiteng'a was always a fishing method for women only. The traps are made of those ropes seen being made in 1998.209.44.1 - .2 and they are usually carried on the head like this. These women are standing probably at the entrance of their homestead, which is apparently planted with some young banana trees. Their personal body adornments include wrist bracelets (minyonge), glass neck beads (tikng'ut) and glass waist beads (tik nungo). Three of the ladies wear skin or cloth aprons (olemo) on the front while the one to the extreme right wears a fibre tail (chieno) to her rear, suggesting that they are young married women. Unmarried ladies were traditionally not keen on kiteng'a fishing, which was done mostly by married women. [Gilbert Oteyo 06/05/05]

Cultural Group

Luo

Region

Nyanza Kisumu

Pitt Rivers Source

Charles William Hobley

Primary Documentation

Notes on PRM card - 'Women returning from fishing, Kisumu. Note: Fish traps carried on head.'

Publication History

Contemporary Publication - Reproduced as Plate XXXb (page 358) in C. W. Hobley's article 'British East Africa: Anthropological Studies in Kavirondo and Nandi' Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland , Vol. 33 (Jul-Dec), 1903, with the caption 'Fisherwomen, Kisumu' [CM 24/04/2007]

Research Notes

It seems apparent that these women have been asked to pose by Hobley so as to show front, side and rear views, a common anthropological technique of the period. [CM 27/04/2007]

Date of Photograph

1902

Accession number

1998.209.44.3

Further Information

Photographic Process

Print gelatin silver

Date Acquired

Donated

Activity

Fishing

For citation use:
Pitt Rivers Museum Luo Visual History "1998.209.44.3" 6 Jun. 2008. Pitt Rivers Museum. Accessed 19 Nov. 2015 <http://photos.prm.ox.ac.uk/luo/photo/1998.209.44.3/>.