Zande bowl
Other views of this artifact:
Accession Number:
1930.86.44
Country:
Sudan
Region:
[Southern Sudan] Bahr el Ghazal
Cultural Group:
Zande
Maker:
Possibly Mbitim?
Date Made:
By 1930
Materials:
Pottery
Process:
Handbuilt , Coiled ? , Fire-Hardened , Decorated , Impressed , Incised Burnished
Dimensions:
Max H = 115 mm, Rim diam = 170 by 172, mouth diam = 148, shoulder W = 196, base W = 101 mm [RTS 15/11/2004].
Weight:
850.8 g
Other Owners:
Probably collected by Evans-Pritchard himself during his fieldwork amongst the Zande, which took place during 1927, part of 1928 and 1929 and for several months during 1930 [CM; RTS 6/7/2004].
Field Collector:
Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard
PRM Source:
Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard
Acquired:
Purchased 31 December 1930
Collected Date:
1927 - 1930
Description:
Handmade pottery bowl with walls of irregular thickness, possibly coil made.
This has been made from a well levigated clay with numerous small to medium gold-coloured mica inclusions, fired a mottled pinkish brown (Pantone 7515C) and dark brown colour (Pantone black 7C) over surfaces inside and out, with the darker colour being predominant.
The exterior has been burnished.
The vessel is circular in plan view, and has an everted rim with a narrow, flattened inside mouth edge, a broad flat upper rim that slopes down to the outer edge, which has been shaved flat.
This slopes in to the neck, which has a narrow raised collar at its base, and a broader, flat collar immediately below, offset from a high rounded shoulder.
The walls of the bowl then curve down and in to a narrow ring base.
The narrow inner lip has been decorated with a row of short vertical impressed lines. The flat upper surface of the rim has been divided into 4 parts, with a small modelled section between each, made of 3 vertical grooves with the clay rising up convexly between. The flat areas have been decorated with two rows of impressed marks framing a crosshatched design made of rows of similar marks; these marks were made from a tool with a square leading edge. The band around the neck has been decorated with a row of oblique impressed lines, with the marks being more lentoid in section. Directly below this, the upper part of the shoulder has been tooled to create a band that stands out from the surface. This has been divided up into a series of rectangular panels, each covered with tightly spaced oblique hatching and crosshatching made from these square impressed marks, and framed on all sides by double or single lines made with the same tool. Between each panel, the surfaces has been modelled into a row of vertical flutes defined by short vertical grooves cutting into the surface, ranging from 9 to 12 flutes in length; the decoration of this band therefore matches that on the upper rim. Below this band, the body has been divided into 4 equal parts by 4 applied strips of clay, that extend down to the edge of the base and stand out from the surface of the vessel. Each strip has been divided into 3 or 4 sections, consisting of squares or rectangles, mostly framed by incised lines around all sides, and filled with impressed squares in either simple horizontal rows or a crosshatched pattern, with the areas between modelled slightly, with incised horizontal grooves above and below framing a slightly convex band, or flute. The arrangement of these elements and their execution varies slightly around the bowl. The panels between these strips are decorated with a double row of impressed squares across the top, with a semicircle pendant from it, filled with oblique hatching made of similar rows, and framed by a double row around its curving base. Below this, two bands extend obliquely down to meet at their base, forming a v-shaped motif, and similarly framed and filled; a vertical line of squares runs down through their central axis and extends to the base of the bowl, where it meets a double row of impressed squares running around the circumference. Each panel is further framed by two vertical bands of these hatched squares on either side. The underside of the base is decorated with simple ladder pattern made from these dotted rows, covering the flat surface of the base ring, with the circular surface within decorated with single rows of impressed squares in 2 concentric circles that follow manufacturing marks. Finally, the interior base of the bowl is decorated with a double incised groove around its outside edge, and two more grooves near the centre; these are applied irregularly and do not make perfect circles. The inside walls show marks which suggest the surface has been wiped with a handful of grass.
All this decoration seems to have been applied using at least 3 types of tools. One of these was capable of producing straight incised lines and grooves, as seen in the modelled fluting and as an occasional framing motif. The second produced an impression with a lentoid shape, used on the neck collar, and the third had an angular, square leading edge, which was used for making the majority of the designs seen here. The bowl is complete and intact, and has a weight of 850.8 grams. It is 115 mm high, with the height varying across the vessel as it is handmade and therefore not completely regular. The rim diameter is 170 by 172 mm, while the mouth measures 148 mm across; the shoulder is 196 mm wide, and the base has a width of 101 mm.
This vessel was probably collected by Evans-Pritchard himself during his fieldwork amongst the Zande, which took place during 1927, part of 1928 and 1929 and for several months during 1930. He did not record its local name, although Larken tells us that the Zande had a specific term for each different type of pot. Smaller vessels were used for cooking meat, and larger ones for water, making bakinde, o r brewing beer (P.M. Larken, 1927, "Impressions of the Azande", Sudan Notes and Records X, p. 131). For other Zande bowls in the collection, made in similar style and using the same type of clay, see 1930.86.43 and 1931.66.2 (which has similar shoulder fluting, and decoration of a similar design, although lacking the applied bands down the body, which are created through simple impressed decoration in that case); for anthropomorphic jars in the same fabric, see 1934.8.134 and 1950.12.117-8; for book-ends in the same style, see 1934.8.135 and 1996.53.1. The potter is not named, but may have been Mbitim, from whom Powell-Cotton visited at Li Rangu on April 28th 1933,collecting raw samples of clay, some of his tools (see 1934.8.132) and finished examples of his work, which seems to be of similar style to the Evans-Pritchard pieces. Powell-Cotton also filmed him in action (see Mrs Powell Cotton, "Village Handicrafts in the Sudan", Man 34 (112), pp 90-91).
The mica inclusions noted in the clay of this example seem to be a characteristic of Zande pottery; mica occurs naturally in beds throughout the region, known as hilidiwe, meaning 'slough of the moon' (P.M. Larken, 1926, "An Account of the Zande", Sudan Notes and Records IX no. 1, p. 4). Schweinfurth noted the presence of mica in both Bongo and Zande pottery, which he suggested made their wares very brittle. He believed this mix to be naturally occurring and that potters did not know how to remove it from their fabrics: "... [Zande potters] have no idea of the method of giving their clay a proper consistency by washing out the particles of mica and by adding a small quantity of sand" (G. Schweinfurth, 1873, In the Heart of Africa Volume I, p. 292; Volume II, p. 25). This mica may well have been left in the clay deliberately, as it gives the vessels an attractive sparkle, and does not seem to have impaired the plasticity of the material, as the detailed modelling of several of these vessels demonstrates. Larken discusses Zande customs regarding the collection and working of clay. Clay is usually found on the banks of a stream, and prepared by pounding it in a mortar before shaping it by hand. Tools are limited to pieces of gourd or a rounded pebble for smoothing; decoration is applied by something simple, such as a short stick bound with cord. Larken goes on to describe the firing and finishing: "When dry, pots are turned upside down and baked in the open, only certain kinds of wood being suitable for the fire. While still red-hot, they are splashed with water in which bark of the ndili tree has been soaked, in order to blacken them. A black polish is sometimes given to the smooth surfaces, by means of graphite grains, which are mixed with water and a little powdered ironstone, painted on the clay and gently but continually rubbed into it with a polishing-pebble before the pot is fired". The resulting vessel is not very strong, and only slightly porous, if at all; broad leaves may be used for a lid, if required (P.M. Larken, 1927, "Impressions of the Azande", Sudan Notes and Records X, pp 129-131). According to Evans-Pritchard, all Zande potters were male and pottery production was "... an art of the Ambomu, who made certain types of pottery... used for carrying water, ablutions, brewing beer, boiling oil, roasting and boiling met, etc. On the whole it was asserted that small-mouthed pots were Mbomu and that designs with larger mouths came from the south, especially from the Mangbetu." (E.E. Evans-Pritchard, 1971, The Azande , p. 95). (Evans-Pritchard 1971, The Azande, p. 95).
This vessel is currently on display in the Lower Gallery, Case 129A.
Rachael Sparks 24/8/2005.
The narrow inner lip has been decorated with a row of short vertical impressed lines. The flat upper surface of the rim has been divided into 4 parts, with a small modelled section between each, made of 3 vertical grooves with the clay rising up convexly between. The flat areas have been decorated with two rows of impressed marks framing a crosshatched design made of rows of similar marks; these marks were made from a tool with a square leading edge. The band around the neck has been decorated with a row of oblique impressed lines, with the marks being more lentoid in section. Directly below this, the upper part of the shoulder has been tooled to create a band that stands out from the surface. This has been divided up into a series of rectangular panels, each covered with tightly spaced oblique hatching and crosshatching made from these square impressed marks, and framed on all sides by double or single lines made with the same tool. Between each panel, the surfaces has been modelled into a row of vertical flutes defined by short vertical grooves cutting into the surface, ranging from 9 to 12 flutes in length; the decoration of this band therefore matches that on the upper rim. Below this band, the body has been divided into 4 equal parts by 4 applied strips of clay, that extend down to the edge of the base and stand out from the surface of the vessel. Each strip has been divided into 3 or 4 sections, consisting of squares or rectangles, mostly framed by incised lines around all sides, and filled with impressed squares in either simple horizontal rows or a crosshatched pattern, with the areas between modelled slightly, with incised horizontal grooves above and below framing a slightly convex band, or flute. The arrangement of these elements and their execution varies slightly around the bowl. The panels between these strips are decorated with a double row of impressed squares across the top, with a semicircle pendant from it, filled with oblique hatching made of similar rows, and framed by a double row around its curving base. Below this, two bands extend obliquely down to meet at their base, forming a v-shaped motif, and similarly framed and filled; a vertical line of squares runs down through their central axis and extends to the base of the bowl, where it meets a double row of impressed squares running around the circumference. Each panel is further framed by two vertical bands of these hatched squares on either side. The underside of the base is decorated with simple ladder pattern made from these dotted rows, covering the flat surface of the base ring, with the circular surface within decorated with single rows of impressed squares in 2 concentric circles that follow manufacturing marks. Finally, the interior base of the bowl is decorated with a double incised groove around its outside edge, and two more grooves near the centre; these are applied irregularly and do not make perfect circles. The inside walls show marks which suggest the surface has been wiped with a handful of grass.
All this decoration seems to have been applied using at least 3 types of tools. One of these was capable of producing straight incised lines and grooves, as seen in the modelled fluting and as an occasional framing motif. The second produced an impression with a lentoid shape, used on the neck collar, and the third had an angular, square leading edge, which was used for making the majority of the designs seen here. The bowl is complete and intact, and has a weight of 850.8 grams. It is 115 mm high, with the height varying across the vessel as it is handmade and therefore not completely regular. The rim diameter is 170 by 172 mm, while the mouth measures 148 mm across; the shoulder is 196 mm wide, and the base has a width of 101 mm.
This vessel was probably collected by Evans-Pritchard himself during his fieldwork amongst the Zande, which took place during 1927, part of 1928 and 1929 and for several months during 1930. He did not record its local name, although Larken tells us that the Zande had a specific term for each different type of pot. Smaller vessels were used for cooking meat, and larger ones for water, making bakinde, o r brewing beer (P.M. Larken, 1927, "Impressions of the Azande", Sudan Notes and Records X, p. 131). For other Zande bowls in the collection, made in similar style and using the same type of clay, see 1930.86.43 and 1931.66.2 (which has similar shoulder fluting, and decoration of a similar design, although lacking the applied bands down the body, which are created through simple impressed decoration in that case); for anthropomorphic jars in the same fabric, see 1934.8.134 and 1950.12.117-8; for book-ends in the same style, see 1934.8.135 and 1996.53.1. The potter is not named, but may have been Mbitim, from whom Powell-Cotton visited at Li Rangu on April 28th 1933,collecting raw samples of clay, some of his tools (see 1934.8.132) and finished examples of his work, which seems to be of similar style to the Evans-Pritchard pieces. Powell-Cotton also filmed him in action (see Mrs Powell Cotton, "Village Handicrafts in the Sudan", Man 34 (112), pp 90-91).
The mica inclusions noted in the clay of this example seem to be a characteristic of Zande pottery; mica occurs naturally in beds throughout the region, known as hilidiwe, meaning 'slough of the moon' (P.M. Larken, 1926, "An Account of the Zande", Sudan Notes and Records IX no. 1, p. 4). Schweinfurth noted the presence of mica in both Bongo and Zande pottery, which he suggested made their wares very brittle. He believed this mix to be naturally occurring and that potters did not know how to remove it from their fabrics: "... [Zande potters] have no idea of the method of giving their clay a proper consistency by washing out the particles of mica and by adding a small quantity of sand" (G. Schweinfurth, 1873, In the Heart of Africa Volume I, p. 292; Volume II, p. 25). This mica may well have been left in the clay deliberately, as it gives the vessels an attractive sparkle, and does not seem to have impaired the plasticity of the material, as the detailed modelling of several of these vessels demonstrates. Larken discusses Zande customs regarding the collection and working of clay. Clay is usually found on the banks of a stream, and prepared by pounding it in a mortar before shaping it by hand. Tools are limited to pieces of gourd or a rounded pebble for smoothing; decoration is applied by something simple, such as a short stick bound with cord. Larken goes on to describe the firing and finishing: "When dry, pots are turned upside down and baked in the open, only certain kinds of wood being suitable for the fire. While still red-hot, they are splashed with water in which bark of the ndili tree has been soaked, in order to blacken them. A black polish is sometimes given to the smooth surfaces, by means of graphite grains, which are mixed with water and a little powdered ironstone, painted on the clay and gently but continually rubbed into it with a polishing-pebble before the pot is fired". The resulting vessel is not very strong, and only slightly porous, if at all; broad leaves may be used for a lid, if required (P.M. Larken, 1927, "Impressions of the Azande", Sudan Notes and Records X, pp 129-131). According to Evans-Pritchard, all Zande potters were male and pottery production was "... an art of the Ambomu, who made certain types of pottery... used for carrying water, ablutions, brewing beer, boiling oil, roasting and boiling met, etc. On the whole it was asserted that small-mouthed pots were Mbomu and that designs with larger mouths came from the south, especially from the Mangbetu." (E.E. Evans-Pritchard, 1971, The Azande , p. 95). (Evans-Pritchard 1971, The Azande, p. 95).
This vessel is currently on display in the Lower Gallery, Case 129A.
Rachael Sparks 24/8/2005.
Primary Documentation:
Accession Book Entry
[BIV, p.
138] - 1930 [insert] 86 [end insert]
E.E.
EVANS PRITCHARD
31 Dec.
Specimens collected by himself in the EASTERN SUDAN, etc.
[...] [p.
139, insert] 42-44 [end insert] - [1 of] 3 decorated
black
reddish pottery bowls, AZANDE.
[...] [Base of p.
139, total of items 1930.86.1-65] - P[ai]d by cheque 31 Dec £
25-0-0
.
Added Accession Book Entry [page opposite 138] - 1930.86 See Related Documents File for letter from Henry Balfour to Evans-Pritchard concerning the purchase of this collection.
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the catalogue card [RTS 3/2/2004].
Related Documents File - This contains a letter from Balfour to Evans-Pritchard, dated 31 December 1930 that specifies the objects which he would like to purchase for the Pitt Rivers Museum, and suggests a price of £25, which was one quarter of his annual budget. The list matches the objects ultimately accessioned quite closely. This item may be listed as one of "2 pots" (although there seem to be three ceramic vessels accessioned as part of this group, not two; see also 1930.86.42-3).
RDF 1930.86 also contains a letter from Evans-Pritchard to Mr. Malcolm dated 12 December 1930, offering him some 81 Zande and Nuer objects. As Malcolm was curator of the Wellcome Historical Medical Museum, it seems unlikely that these objects were ever sent to the Pitt Rivers Museum and this letter is only useful as background for Evans-Pritchard's attritudes to the intended future use of his material, and as evidence for the temporary storage of these objects in Professor Seligman's office in the London School of Economics at the time. The file also contains an undated list of 48 objects, which does not seem to match accessioned material and could be the list of rejected items that Balfour mentions in the letter described above [RTS 17/5/2004].
Written on object - AZANDE, BAHR-EL-GHAZAL. coll. EVANS PRITCHARD, Purch. 31.12.1930 [RTS 15/11/2004].
Added Accession Book Entry [page opposite 138] - 1930.86 See Related Documents File for letter from Henry Balfour to Evans-Pritchard concerning the purchase of this collection.
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the catalogue card [RTS 3/2/2004].
Related Documents File - This contains a letter from Balfour to Evans-Pritchard, dated 31 December 1930 that specifies the objects which he would like to purchase for the Pitt Rivers Museum, and suggests a price of £25, which was one quarter of his annual budget. The list matches the objects ultimately accessioned quite closely. This item may be listed as one of "2 pots" (although there seem to be three ceramic vessels accessioned as part of this group, not two; see also 1930.86.42-3).
RDF 1930.86 also contains a letter from Evans-Pritchard to Mr. Malcolm dated 12 December 1930, offering him some 81 Zande and Nuer objects. As Malcolm was curator of the Wellcome Historical Medical Museum, it seems unlikely that these objects were ever sent to the Pitt Rivers Museum and this letter is only useful as background for Evans-Pritchard's attritudes to the intended future use of his material, and as evidence for the temporary storage of these objects in Professor Seligman's office in the London School of Economics at the time. The file also contains an undated list of 48 objects, which does not seem to match accessioned material and could be the list of rejected items that Balfour mentions in the letter described above [RTS 17/5/2004].
Written on object - AZANDE, BAHR-EL-GHAZAL. coll. EVANS PRITCHARD, Purch. 31.12.1930 [RTS 15/11/2004].
