Bongo lenticular knife
Other views of this artifact:
Accession Number:
1884.63.29
Country:
Sudan
Region:
[Southern Sudan]
Cultural Group:
?Bongo
Date Made:
?Before 1858
Materials:
Iron Metal
Process:
Hammered , Punched , Incised
Dimensions:
L = 262 mm, W = 36.5 mm, th = 2 mm, th cutting edge = 0.1 mm [RTS 15/3/2004].
Local Name:
[tibah] [tibbah]
Other Owners:
Collected by John Petherick in 1858 and shipped back to England in 1859. Subsequently acquired by Pitt Rivers, perhaps via auction, as Petherick is known to have auctioned some of his collection through Mr Bullock of High Holborn, London, on 27th June 186
Field Collector:
John Petherick
PRM Source:
Augustus Henry Lane Fox Pitt Rivers founding collection
Acquired:
Donated 1884
Collected Date:
1858
Description:
Iron knife, made in a single piece and consisting of an irregular disc handle with short, slightly oval sectioned shaft below, then a lenticular blade with flat upper and lower surfaces, both featuring a slight ridge running along the centre of the length; this is more marked on the upper surface.
The body thins to form a cutting edge on either side.
The blade tapers in again at the other end, where it has been hammered flat at the point.
The upper surface of the blade is decorated with a series of incised motifs, made up of short lines that have been punched into the surface.
These consists of hatching that runs along the sloping edges near either end of the blade, then two arcs, ending with short horizontal arms across the ends.
The arcs and horizontal motifs have been punched over the top of single incised lines, possibly drawn in first to act as a guide for the craftsman.
Between these two designs, the central part of the body is decorated with 19 rows of horizontal, slightly wavy lines that run across its width.
Complete and intact, with tool marks visible on both surfaces, but no obvious use wear.
The iron is in good condition, currently a silver gray in colour (Pantone 421C).
Total length 262 mm, diameter of handle 9.5 mm, diameter of shaft 5 x 4.5 mm, maximum width of blade 36.5 mm, minimum width of blade just above point 4.5 mm, maximum thickness of blade 2 mm, thickness at cutting edge 0.1 mm.
This object is said to have been collected in 1858; in that year Petherick led a trading expedition through Bongo territory, an account of which is given in his 1861 volume, Egypt, The Sudan and Central Africa; he refers to this group as the Dor. The expedition entered Bongo territory on January 25, 1858, visiting villages called Djau, Kurkur, Maeha, Mura, Umbura, Modocunga, Miha, Nearhe, Gutu, Mungela, Ombelambe and Lungo. Later in February they passed back through the Bongo villages of Djamaga and Lungo again. T his material was shipped back to England in 1859. It was subsequently acquired by Pitt Rivers, perhaps via auction, as Petherick is known to have auctioned some of his collection through Mr Bullock of High Holborn, London, on 27th June 1862 (see the Catalogue of the very interesting collection of arms and implements of war, husbandry, and the chase, and articles of costume and domestic use, procured during several expeditions up the White Nile, Bahr-il-Gazal, and among the various tribes of the country, to the cannibal Neam Nam territory on the Equator, by John Petherick, Esq., H.M. Consul, Khartoum, Soudan ). This auction included 39 objects identified as ‘women’s knives’, most without any indication of cultural origin, although 2 are specified as Bongo. Pitt Rivers sent this object to Bethnal Green Museum for display, as part of the first batch of objects sent there, probably in 1874. It was later displayed in the South Kensington Museum, then transferred from there to become part of the founding collection of the Pitt Rivers Museum in 1884.
Similar knives are illustrated in J.G. Wood's, The Natural History of Man, 1868, p. 503 figures 3-4, where they are described as women's knives; these are attributed to the Jur of Sudan, which Wood seems to use as a generic term for Central Sudanic speaking groups. See 1884.24.205-6 and 1884.63.28 for similar objects. Schweinfurth calls this type of knife a tibah , and states that Bongo women use them to peel vegetables and slice up gourds (G. Schweinfurth, 1975, Artes Africanae, pl. IV.7,8; In the Heart of Africa, 1873, p. 281). See also E. Castelli, 1984, Orazio Antinori in Africa Centrale 1859-1861, cat. no. 26-29, pp 49-50, all attributed to the Bongo (Museum of Perugia 49525-8). A further example in the British Museum was collected in 1867; their attribution to the Zande is probably incorrect (Accession number 4460, E. Schildkrout & C.A. Keim, 1990, African Reflections, fig. 5.10).
Rachael Sparks 28/9/2005.
This object is said to have been collected in 1858; in that year Petherick led a trading expedition through Bongo territory, an account of which is given in his 1861 volume, Egypt, The Sudan and Central Africa; he refers to this group as the Dor. The expedition entered Bongo territory on January 25, 1858, visiting villages called Djau, Kurkur, Maeha, Mura, Umbura, Modocunga, Miha, Nearhe, Gutu, Mungela, Ombelambe and Lungo. Later in February they passed back through the Bongo villages of Djamaga and Lungo again. T his material was shipped back to England in 1859. It was subsequently acquired by Pitt Rivers, perhaps via auction, as Petherick is known to have auctioned some of his collection through Mr Bullock of High Holborn, London, on 27th June 1862 (see the Catalogue of the very interesting collection of arms and implements of war, husbandry, and the chase, and articles of costume and domestic use, procured during several expeditions up the White Nile, Bahr-il-Gazal, and among the various tribes of the country, to the cannibal Neam Nam territory on the Equator, by John Petherick, Esq., H.M. Consul, Khartoum, Soudan ). This auction included 39 objects identified as ‘women’s knives’, most without any indication of cultural origin, although 2 are specified as Bongo. Pitt Rivers sent this object to Bethnal Green Museum for display, as part of the first batch of objects sent there, probably in 1874. It was later displayed in the South Kensington Museum, then transferred from there to become part of the founding collection of the Pitt Rivers Museum in 1884.
Similar knives are illustrated in J.G. Wood's, The Natural History of Man, 1868, p. 503 figures 3-4, where they are described as women's knives; these are attributed to the Jur of Sudan, which Wood seems to use as a generic term for Central Sudanic speaking groups. See 1884.24.205-6 and 1884.63.28 for similar objects. Schweinfurth calls this type of knife a tibah , and states that Bongo women use them to peel vegetables and slice up gourds (G. Schweinfurth, 1975, Artes Africanae, pl. IV.7,8; In the Heart of Africa, 1873, p. 281). See also E. Castelli, 1984, Orazio Antinori in Africa Centrale 1859-1861, cat. no. 26-29, pp 49-50, all attributed to the Bongo (Museum of Perugia 49525-8). A further example in the British Museum was collected in 1867; their attribution to the Zande is probably incorrect (Accession number 4460, E. Schildkrout & C.A. Keim, 1990, African Reflections, fig. 5.10).
Rachael Sparks 28/9/2005.
Primary Documentation:
Accession Book IV entry
[p.
140]
-
[insert] 1884.63 [end insert]
DESIGN (DEVELOPMENT OF GEOMETRICAL)
[p.
141, insert] 29 [end insert] - Woman's
ditto
[lenticular]
ditto
[iron knife]: similar ornament [to 1884.63.28: 'scratched zigzags & punched and scored designs'] without zigzags ?DOR.
Petherick coll.
[28 red].
Added Accession Book IV Entry [page opposite 141] - [drawing].
Collectors Miscellaneous XI Accession Book entry [p. 193] - PETHERICK, Consul [p. 195] [insert] 1884.68.28, .29 [end insert] 2 women's iron knives with hatched and zigzag ornament [Drawing] ?DOR. C[ENTRAL] AFRICA. 1858. (PR 28 red). [p. 197] [insert] BONGO is tribe's name for itself. They are called DOR by neighbours [end insert, by BB].
Red book entry [p. 85] - Tools . (28) Iron woman's knives, variously ornamented (4) obt[ained] by Consul Petherick. C Africa.
Additional Red Book Entry [p. 85 in left column] - 2 knives ? 1 needle ret. 20.xii.23 [handwriting is difficult to read clearly, RTS 4/12/2003].
Delivery Catalogue I entry [p. 15] - Illustrations of Geometrical Design. [insert] 1884.24.206 ? + 63.28+29. [1 of] 3 women's knives. 2887. [For the other two knives, see 1884.24.206 and 1884.63.28]. [screen?] 11, Panel 17 Case 18.
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the catalogue card [RTS 6/4/2004].
Old Pitt Rivers Museum label - Woman's knife. ?DOR. C. AFRICA. Petherick coll... 1858 P.R. coll... (28 Red) [RTS 26/2/2004; label tied to object].
Written on object - Woman's knife. C. AFR[...]. Coll. by Consul Petherick 1858. P.R. coll. [...] (28 Red). [writing on body underside, very worn, partially illegible; RTS 26/2/2004].
Added Accession Book IV Entry [page opposite 141] - [drawing].
Collectors Miscellaneous XI Accession Book entry [p. 193] - PETHERICK, Consul [p. 195] [insert] 1884.68.28, .29 [end insert] 2 women's iron knives with hatched and zigzag ornament [Drawing] ?DOR. C[ENTRAL] AFRICA. 1858. (PR 28 red). [p. 197] [insert] BONGO is tribe's name for itself. They are called DOR by neighbours [end insert, by BB].
Red book entry [p. 85] - Tools . (28) Iron woman's knives, variously ornamented (4) obt[ained] by Consul Petherick. C Africa.
Additional Red Book Entry [p. 85 in left column] - 2 knives ? 1 needle ret. 20.xii.23 [handwriting is difficult to read clearly, RTS 4/12/2003].
Delivery Catalogue I entry [p. 15] - Illustrations of Geometrical Design. [insert] 1884.24.206 ? + 63.28+29. [1 of] 3 women's knives. 2887. [For the other two knives, see 1884.24.206 and 1884.63.28]. [screen?] 11, Panel 17 Case 18.
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the catalogue card [RTS 6/4/2004].
Old Pitt Rivers Museum label - Woman's knife. ?DOR. C. AFRICA. Petherick coll... 1858 P.R. coll... (28 Red) [RTS 26/2/2004; label tied to object].
Written on object - Woman's knife. C. AFR[...]. Coll. by Consul Petherick 1858. P.R. coll. [...] (28 Red). [writing on body underside, very worn, partially illegible; RTS 26/2/2004].
Display History:
Displayed in Bethnal Green and South Kensington Museums (V&A).
[AP]
