Dinka neck amulet
Other views of this artifact:
Accession Number:
1903.16.123
Country:
Sudan
Region:
[Southern Sudan] [White Nile]
Cultural Group:
Dinka
Date Made:
By 1903
Materials:
Animal Hide Skin , Glass
Process:
Twisted , Knotted , Strung , Stitched
Dimensions:
L = 445 (not including tassels) or 519 (with tassels), diam cord = 2 mm; capsules = 25.5 by 18 by 7.8 and 25.7 by 17 by 6.5 mm; diam bead = 3.7 mm, th bead = 4 mm [RTS 23/8/2004].
Weight:
7.7 g
Other Owners:
Collected by Donald Gunn in the Southern Sudan and presented to the Pitt Rivers Museum in 1903. Museum records do not give a specific provenance for this item, but Gunn appears to have collected Shilluk material from the ‘White Nile’, ‘Upper Nile’, Kodok
Field Collector:
Donald Gunn
PRM Source:
Donald Gunn
Acquired:
Donated 1903
Collected Date:
By 1903
Description:
Necklet made from a doubled length of twisted light brown hide cord, tied into a knot at the top (Pantone 7509C).
This has been strung with two small hide pockets that were probably used as containers for charms or amulets, such as an excerpt from the Koran.
Each capsule is made from a rectangular piece of yellowish brown hide (Pantone 7508C) that has been folded over at the top to form a loop through which the cord may pass; the strip is then doubled over its base to form a small pocket whose edges have been sewn together along the edges using a narrow hide thong in a tacking stitch that runs up one side, across the top and down the other side; this also serves to secure the looped top.
The inside of each pocket is not visible, but their thickness suggest that they have some contents in place.
Both have traces of red ochre on their surface.
The hide thongs continue from the bottom edge of the capsule corners to hang down as a decorative tassel, except in one case where the thong may have broken off.
On one of the capsules, these hanging thongs have been threaded with opaque green glass beads, irregularly ring-shaped (Pantone 364C).
One of these tassels has 4 beads in place; the other only a single bead.
As there is no knot at the base of the tassel to keep these beads in place, it is possible that there were originally a larger number strung in place.
Otherwise, the necklet appears to be complete.
It has a total length of 445 mm as strung without the tassels, or 519 mm including them, and weighs 7.7 grams.
The cord has a diameter of 2 mm; the capsules measure 25.5 by 18 by 7.8 mm and 25.7 by 17 by 6.5 mm respectively; the beads vary slightly in dimension, with the larger examples having a diameter of 3.7 mm and being 4 mm thick.
Collected by Donald Gunn in the Southern Sudan and presented to the Pitt Rivers Museum in 1903. Museum records give only the generic provenance of ‘White Nile’ for this item; Gunn appears to have collected Shilluk material from the ‘White Nile’, ‘Upper Nile’, Kodok and Bor, Nuer material from around Lake No, Dinka material from the ‘White Nile’ and Arab material from Omdurman.
For a similar Dinka amulet necklace, see 1903.16.122; this has the same type of opaque green bead as part of its decoration. For Nuer examples, see 1903.16.126, a necklet, and 1903.16.129, an armlet.
The wearing of written charms, sewn up into leather packets, is an Arab practice, found in Egypt and the northern Sudan, and this example probably represents its spread amongst Nilotic Sudanese. Schweinfurth, for example, recorded that: "The Nubians and true Arabs ... often wear round their neck and arms a number of ornamental leather sheaths, which contain passages from the Koran; on being asked what is inside they reply, 'it is the name of god'. Such amulets are even bound round the necks of horses and valuable asses” (G. Schweinfurth, 1873, In the Heart of Africa vol. 1, p. 142); Petrie also reported the practice amongst the Egyptian fellahim: “"Many - perhaps most - of the people wear charms, written on paper, and sewn up in leather; they are worn around the neck, on the purse or pouch, or on the top of the cap. Cattle are also sometimes protected by them" (W.M.F. Petrie, 1892, Ten Years Digging in Egypt , p. 169).
Rachael Sparks 18/9/2005.
Collected by Donald Gunn in the Southern Sudan and presented to the Pitt Rivers Museum in 1903. Museum records give only the generic provenance of ‘White Nile’ for this item; Gunn appears to have collected Shilluk material from the ‘White Nile’, ‘Upper Nile’, Kodok and Bor, Nuer material from around Lake No, Dinka material from the ‘White Nile’ and Arab material from Omdurman.
For a similar Dinka amulet necklace, see 1903.16.122; this has the same type of opaque green bead as part of its decoration. For Nuer examples, see 1903.16.126, a necklet, and 1903.16.129, an armlet.
The wearing of written charms, sewn up into leather packets, is an Arab practice, found in Egypt and the northern Sudan, and this example probably represents its spread amongst Nilotic Sudanese. Schweinfurth, for example, recorded that: "The Nubians and true Arabs ... often wear round their neck and arms a number of ornamental leather sheaths, which contain passages from the Koran; on being asked what is inside they reply, 'it is the name of god'. Such amulets are even bound round the necks of horses and valuable asses” (G. Schweinfurth, 1873, In the Heart of Africa vol. 1, p. 142); Petrie also reported the practice amongst the Egyptian fellahim: “"Many - perhaps most - of the people wear charms, written on paper, and sewn up in leather; they are worn around the neck, on the purse or pouch, or on the top of the cap. Cattle are also sometimes protected by them" (W.M.F. Petrie, 1892, Ten Years Digging in Egypt , p. 169).
Rachael Sparks 18/9/2005.
Primary Documentation:
Accession Book Entry
[III, p.
110] - 1903 [pencil insert] 16 [end insert]
DR
D.
GUNN
Esq., M.B.
40 Dover Street, London, W.
June.
[...] [p.
114, pencil insert] 122-123 [ticked] [end insert] - [One of] 2 Dinka necklets each with two charm capsules.
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the tribes catalogue card [RTS 19/2/2004].
Old Pitt Rivers Museum label - Charms. DINKAS. WHITE NILE. Pres. by Dr Gunn, 1903 [circular metal-edged tag, tied to object; RTS 23/8/2004].
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the tribes catalogue card [RTS 19/2/2004].
Old Pitt Rivers Museum label - Charms. DINKAS. WHITE NILE. Pres. by Dr Gunn, 1903 [circular metal-edged tag, tied to object; RTS 23/8/2004].
