Pitt Rivers Museum Luo Visual History
1998.349.31.1 (Film Negative 120mm)
Key Information
Photographer
Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard
Description
A portrait of a man wearing a traditional hat with foliage (bumbwe) decoration. This round hat is called olendo and his white goatskin is pien nyadiel. He is also wearing wrist-rings (minyonge) on each hand. Men who adopted such dress were known to be possessed by spirits (ja mumbo). Possession by the spirit of mumbo was a particular feature of this period of Luo culture. In this photograph the man is rightly described as wearing "olendo with bumbwe" (wild shrubs) around his hat and as a "Jamumbo" (a man possessed by spirits). [Gilbert Oteyo 9/9/2004]
Cultural Group
Luo?
Region
Nyanza?
Pitt Rivers Source
Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard
Date of Photograph
1936
Accession number
1998.349.31.1
Further Information
Photographic Process
Negative film nitrate
Date Acquired
Donated 1988
For citation use:
Pitt Rivers Museum Luo Visual History
"1998.349.31.1"
6 Jun. 2008. Pitt Rivers Museum.
Accessed 19 Nov. 2015
<http://photos.prm.ox.ac.uk/luo/photo/1998.349.31.1/>.
© Pitt Rivers Museum