Zande hat
Other views of this artifact:
Accession Number:
1948.2.163
Country:
Sudan
Region:
[Southern Sudan]
Cultural Group:
Zande
Date Made:
By 1930
Materials:
Palm Fibre Plant
Process:
Basketry , Twill Woven , Woven , Stitched , Decorated , Dyed
Dimensions:
Ht = 92, Crown L = 124, W = 133, internal diam base = 166 mm; fibre strips W = 2 mm [RTS 2/2/2005].
Weight:
22.3 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:
Found unentered February 1948
Collected Date:
1927 - 1930
Description:
Basketry hat consisting of a flat, square crown that has been woven from flat narrow palm fibre strips in a twill pattern of over 2, under 2.
There are 2 light bands running across the crown from corner to corner, crossing at the centre.
This is where most hats of this type have 2 cane strips added to stiffen the top of the hat and help it retain its shape.
The lighter colour of the basketry here shows that these strips were originally present, which is confirmed by a hole in each corner where their pointed ends would have dug through the woven walls to fix them in place.
It also shows how the colour of the fibre has changed, from a pale yellow (Pantone 7506C) to a deeper yellowish brown (Pantone 7509C).
The body of the hat becomes increasingly circular below the crown, where the weave changes to a looser pattern made up of vertical and horizontal fibre strips arranged in a geometric design in which the natural yellow of the fibre is contrasted with strips that have been dyed a darker brown (Pantone Black 7C).
The latter provides the background, over which a series of chevron, lozenge and triangular motives have been picked out in yellow.
At the centre of each side is a solid yellow lozenge with brown centre framed by double open lozenges around it, with double < and >-shaped chevrons flanking it on either side.
These meet at each corner with their counterparts on the adjacent side to form an X-shaped motif, below which are 2 stacked triangles with their points facing upwards, with a small single triangle marking the corner directly above.
The result is a continuous pattern that flows regularly around the body of the hat.
Below this section, the style of basketry changes yet again to form a circular band around the lower part of the hat.
This is composed of vertical strips that run down the inside edge, laid at right angles to horizontal strips running around the exterior, arranged as 3 bands of yellow alternating with 2 brown bands.
These two layers have been sewn together using a very fine fibre thread, which alternates in colour from yellow or brown to match the background colour.
Separate yellow fibre strips have been wound around the bottom edge of the hat, with their ends protruding upwards at an angle to form a long fringe.
The hat is nearly complete, with a small area of damage to the body on one side; the most wear is evident around the fringe, several parts of which have broken off and are loose in the bag holding the object.
There are also a few loose fibre ends sticking out from the interior and exterior walls, as part of the manufacturing process; a small lump of dark brown material adhering to the inside walls, and some similar colour marks on the crown.
The hat has a weight of 22.3 grams, and is 92 mm high.
The crown measures 124 by 133 mm across the sides, while the base has an internal diameter of 166 mm.
The fibre strips each have a width of around 2 mm.
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.
Evans-Pritchard discusses Zande hats in his book, The Azande; his comments presumably refer to the situation back in 1926-1930, when he conducted his fieldwork amongst this group: “In sketches by early travellers Azande men are shown wearing straw hats. Schweinfurth describes them as using ‘a cylindrical hat without any brim, square at the top and always ornamented with a waving plume of feathers; the hat is fastened on by large hair-pins, made either of iron, copper, or ivory, and tipped with crescents, tridents, knobs and various other devices [In the Heart of Africa II, p. 8; This type of hat is depicted being worn at the top of the head, see vol. I p. 439]. The same kind of cylindrical, brimless straw hat was still worn in 1906 when Gezer visited the Azande of Tembura’s kingdom and of the old kingdom of Ezo. This is the old Mbomu hat, called kutuku , and some of the older men still keep to a version of it. The hat which is today fashionable, and has been for some years, is of much the same shape but with two new features: black lateral patterns, often wavy lines, and a broad brim, the first being copied from the Mangbetu and the second from the earliest Europeans” (Evans-Pritchard 1971, pp 70-71). Brock stated that Zande hats were worn from greenish white split grass, being round at the base and square at the top, with patterns around the top in blackened grass. He suggests that the presence or absence of brims was according to fashion, which also determined how the hat's feathers were arranged (R.G.C. Brock, 1918, "Some Notes of the Zande Tribe as Found in the Meridi District", Sudan Notes and Records 1, p. 254).
Note that this hat does not show signs of having had any feathers attached, but does have the Mangbetu inspired colouring without the then fashionable brim. Evans-Pritchard's comment that this example was worn by boys might suggest that this we are looking at a new usage of the former kutuku type; the fringed edge seems to be a new variant of this form. An almost identical hat, 1930.86.32, is described by Evans-Pritchard as having been worn by a boy during his circumcision rites, so it seems likely that this was also the case here. Brock recorded that grass hats were made specially for the dances that take place some time after a boy's circumcision, which takes place from the age of 12 onwards. A special dance is performed, then a grass hat placed before each boy, into which offerings such as rings, bracelets, and spears can be placed. These offerings go to the men who circumcised and trained the boys to do the circumcision dance. Later, the hats are worn by the boys, and the dance is performed throughout the night (Brock 1918, op.cit., pp 251-2).
Rachael Sparks 19/08/2005.
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.
Evans-Pritchard discusses Zande hats in his book, The Azande; his comments presumably refer to the situation back in 1926-1930, when he conducted his fieldwork amongst this group: “In sketches by early travellers Azande men are shown wearing straw hats. Schweinfurth describes them as using ‘a cylindrical hat without any brim, square at the top and always ornamented with a waving plume of feathers; the hat is fastened on by large hair-pins, made either of iron, copper, or ivory, and tipped with crescents, tridents, knobs and various other devices [In the Heart of Africa II, p. 8; This type of hat is depicted being worn at the top of the head, see vol. I p. 439]. The same kind of cylindrical, brimless straw hat was still worn in 1906 when Gezer visited the Azande of Tembura’s kingdom and of the old kingdom of Ezo. This is the old Mbomu hat, called kutuku , and some of the older men still keep to a version of it. The hat which is today fashionable, and has been for some years, is of much the same shape but with two new features: black lateral patterns, often wavy lines, and a broad brim, the first being copied from the Mangbetu and the second from the earliest Europeans” (Evans-Pritchard 1971, pp 70-71). Brock stated that Zande hats were worn from greenish white split grass, being round at the base and square at the top, with patterns around the top in blackened grass. He suggests that the presence or absence of brims was according to fashion, which also determined how the hat's feathers were arranged (R.G.C. Brock, 1918, "Some Notes of the Zande Tribe as Found in the Meridi District", Sudan Notes and Records 1, p. 254).
Note that this hat does not show signs of having had any feathers attached, but does have the Mangbetu inspired colouring without the then fashionable brim. Evans-Pritchard's comment that this example was worn by boys might suggest that this we are looking at a new usage of the former kutuku type; the fringed edge seems to be a new variant of this form. An almost identical hat, 1930.86.32, is described by Evans-Pritchard as having been worn by a boy during his circumcision rites, so it seems likely that this was also the case here. Brock recorded that grass hats were made specially for the dances that take place some time after a boy's circumcision, which takes place from the age of 12 onwards. A special dance is performed, then a grass hat placed before each boy, into which offerings such as rings, bracelets, and spears can be placed. These offerings go to the men who circumcised and trained the boys to do the circumcision dance. Later, the hats are worn by the boys, and the dance is performed throughout the night (Brock 1918, op.cit., pp 251-2).
Rachael Sparks 19/08/2005.
Primary Documentation:
Accession Book Entry
[p.
264] - E.
E.
EVANS-PRITCHARD, INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY, OXFORD.
Found unentered; collected by donor.
[p, 268] 1948.2.162-4 - ZANDE.
[1 of] 3 boy's caps of plaited straw, no brims, ends left as fringe, split cane stiffeners on crown.
Geometrical pattern in black and white.
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the catalogue card [RTS 2/2/2004].
Old Pitt Rivers Museum label - ZANDE boy's hat. 1948.2.163. d.d. Evans Pritchard [ink, front] ZANDE [pencil, back; brown rectangular luggage label, tied to object; RTS 2/2/2005].
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the catalogue card [RTS 2/2/2004].
Old Pitt Rivers Museum label - ZANDE boy's hat. 1948.2.163. d.d. Evans Pritchard [ink, front] ZANDE [pencil, back; brown rectangular luggage label, tied to object; RTS 2/2/2005].
