Bari fringe apron

1940.7.011

Sudan

[Southern Sudan] [Al Istiwa'iyah] [Equatoria] Bahr el Jebel Singi

Bari

By 1940

Animal Leather Skin , Iron Metal , Pigment , Ochre

Forged (Metal) , Hammered , Bent , Perforated , Stitched , Tied Tooled

Belt diameter = approx. 235; belt W = 52.5, th = 4 mm; total length with fringe = 236 mm; hide stitching W = 5, hide ties W = 9, th = 0.8 mm; iron fringe strips in 3 sizes = 130 x 19,7 x 2, 162 x 14 x 1.8; 190 x 14.2 x 1.2 mm [RTS 8/3/2005].

553.0 g

Pilia

Samuel P. Powell

Samuel P. Powell

Samuel P. Powell

Loaned July 1940

By 1940

Young girl's waist ornament consisting of a waist band made from one long and one short rectangular pieces of leather, sewn together along one end using a thick hide thong in a simple ladder stitch; the loose ends of the hide have been pushed down the centre of the join on either side to form 2 stiffening ribs. The shorter piece of leather has been cut to have a tapering end that comes to a point. A series of holes have been punched through this from the inside face, with 4 holes in a row down the width, 4 holes along the upper edge, and 3 holes along the lower curving edge. These may have originally had some leather strips attached to serve as waist ties. The other end of the belt has been cut straight, and perforated somewhat irregularly with 2 holes along the straight edge, 3 holes along the lower edge but gradually moving inwards to the centre of the belt, and 4 more regularly placed holes along the upper edge. A series of narrow hide strips have been threaded through these, leaving a regular horizontal stitch on the inside face and with their 2 ends hanging loose from the exterior. These may be partially decorative, and partially intended to help tie the garment in place in conjunction with similar strips now missing from the other end of the belt. The outer face of the belt is textured, perhaps deliberately, and coloured with red ochre or pigment with tiny mica inclusions (Pantone 483C). A triangular iron clamp has been fitted over the top edge of the belt. This was used to hold the collector's paper label in place, and it is not clear if it is part of the original object or a later addition. The lower edge of the belt has been perforated with a row of 18 holes. All but one of these is currently used to seat a series of narrow iron strips, that hang down the front of the belt as a fringe. Each strip is made from a rectangular bar of iron, hammered flat, with a straight or slightly convex lower edge, and tapering to its upper end where it has been pushed through each hole and bent back towards the metal body to form a loop. The looped tops are much thicker than the flat bodies, and are visible on the outer face of the garment. The strips vary in length and width, gradually becoming longer and wider to the centre of the object. There are 3 sizes of strip involved; those at the sides are 130 mm long, 10.7 mm wide and 2 mm thick, with 5 of these on one side and 3 (of an original 4) on the other. Then there are 2 pairs of longer strips on either side, 162 mm long, 14 mm wide and 1.8 mm thick, and a group of 5 strips at the centre that are longer still, measuring 190 by 14.2 by 1.2 mm. Some strips have oblique hammering marks visible, and bear traces of red ochre. The iron is still a metallic gray colour (Pantone 877C), but blackening in place. The belt is nearly complete, but one iron strip appears to be missing and a series of ties; the leather has curled up and can no longer be stretched out to its full length. It has a weight of 553 grams. With the two belt ends touching, the belt has an approximate diameter of 235 mm, and is 52.5 mm wide and 4 mm thick, while the total length of the object, with fringe, is 236 mm. The hide stitching is 5 mm wide; the hide ties vary in size, but a typical example is 9 mm wide and 0.8 mm thick; some of these still have traces of animal hair on the surface.

Bought by Samuel P. Powell at Singi, Beliniang, and loaned to the Pitt Rivers Museum in 1940.

This type of apron was worn by very young Bari girls, and is known as pilia. For the type worn by girls, see 1940.7.010 (wande) , and for the apron worn by married women, see 1940.7.09 (jufferaba).

Rachael Sparks 14/9/2005.

Accession Book Entry [Loans II, p. 308] - ESTATE OF S.P. POWELL, C/O N.H. HASLAM, Esq. Manager, Westminster Bank, Stony Stratford, Bucks. Collected by himself. Data from his labels and notes. From the BARI TRIBE, EQUATORIAL PROVINCE, ANGLO-EGYPTIAN SUDAN. 1940.7.011 - Very young girl's sporran, strips of iron hooked to leather belt (pilia). Bought at SINGI, BELINIANG.

Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the catalogue card [RTS 10/2/2004].

Related Documents File - Appears on undated typed list: "Bari Collection from the Equatorial Province, Sudan. Three different types of sporrans: - (c) The Pilia, which is worn by the very young girls; this is made of strips of iron, hooked to a broad leather belt". List is annotated by hand on back: "List of Curios" and "Far from complete" [RTS 16/12/2003].

Pre-PRM label - Worn by Bari . Small girl. Called PILIA . Bought at SINGI, BELINIANG rectangular piece of paper, handwritten in ink; original collector's notes; not kept with object; RTS 8/3/2005].

Pitt Rivers Museum label - "Sporran" worn by very young girls. pilia . BARI. Equatorial Prov. ANGLO-EGYPTIAN SUDAN. S.P. Powell [brown luggage tag, tied to object; RTS 8/3/2005].