photograph scan of PRM number 1998.349.64.1

1998.349.64.1 (Film negative)

Key Information

Photographer

Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard

Description

A full length portrait of a Luo elder (identified as Maena?) with personal adornments, probably befitting a funeral ceremony, clad in a silk gown (joho). His impressive headdress includes two bunches of animal tail hair or feathers tied together, four hippo teeth (leke rawo) curving upwards on each side of the head, and a beautiful cowry shell hat (ogut gagi) on which all the items are attached. He is also holding a racking stick (ragwar). His probably elaborate front ornaments are unfortunately obscured in the under exposure of the image. The compound in which the man is standing is of interest-a partially seen square building with corrugated iron sheet roofing was uncommon in Luo country at that time, and so this is probably a building connected with a school, mission or the colonial administration. [Gilbert Oteyo 9/9/2004 & CM 12/03/2007]

Cultural Group

Luo

Region

Nyanza

Named Person

Maena?

Pitt Rivers Source

Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard

Date of Photograph

1936

Accession number

1998.349.64.1

Further Information

Photographic Process

Negative film nitrate

Date Acquired

Donated 1988

Activity

Dancing

For citation use:
Pitt Rivers Museum Luo Visual History "1998.349.64.1" 6 Jun. 2008. Pitt Rivers Museum. Accessed 19 Nov. 2015 <http://photos.prm.ox.ac.uk/luo/photo/1998.349.64.1/>.