Zande rat trap
Other views of this artifact:
Accession Number:
1931.59.3
Country:
Sudan
Region:
[Southern Sudan] Uele District
Cultural Group:
Zande
Date Made:
By 1930
Materials:
Cane Plant , Plant Thorn , Plant Fibre
Process:
Basketry , Tied
Dimensions:
L = 564 mm, W opening = 86 mm, Th opening = 83 mm, W body = 50.7 mm, Th body = 47.7 mm, W point = 15.3 mm, Th point = 13.2 mm, W strips = 4 to 6 mm at top, 4 to 2 mm at base; Diam twigs = 3.5 mm [RTS 7/7/2004].
Weight:
35.7 g
Local Name:
ngbatu?
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:
Donated 1931
Collected Date:
1927 - 1930
Description:
Rat trap consisting of a rigid, elongated, tubular body with oval mouth that tapers to a point at the other end.
This has been made by taking 8 long strips of flat cane, 4 to 6 mm wide, and weaving them loosely together into an open hexagonal weave, with two oblique strands threading in and out between 8 vertical to slightly oblique struts that run down the length of the body and help maintain its rigidity.
This creates a series of hexagonal openings down the sides through which the prey could see the bait inside the trap.
Some of the obliquely woven strips become very narrow towards the base of the trap, where they are only 2 mm wide.
The cane strips have been gathered together at the base, and bound with another strip, 5 mm wide, fastened at the top with a knot.
This binding is somewhat loose at the bottom.
The mouth of the trap has been armed by inserting three long thorny twigs inside the trap so that they lie against the sides.
The thorns are angled downwards, so that an animal could enter the trap without snagging itself but would be caught on the thorns if it tried to move backwards to leave it.
These still have their surface bark in place; two are round in section, and one has been split down the length so that only one side of the twig is present, giving it a semicircular section.
The twigs have been held in place with small ties, midway down their bodies.
One of these has been made of twisted brown plant fibre cord; two other ties are made from narrow yellow cane strips.
The twigs are further secured by wedging their upper and lower ends between the cane weave of the trap.
A third cane tie is present, but has no corresponding twig attached, suggesting that a fourth thorn has been lost at some stage.
The trap is otherwise complete, although some of the cane strips have split down their centres.
The trap is a yellowish brown colour (Pantone 7509C), while the twigs are a darker grayish brown (Pantone warm gray 11C).
It is 564 mm long, measures 86 by 83 mm across the mouth opening, 50.7 by 47.7 mm across the body and 15.3 by 13.2 mm at the point, with a weight of 35.7 grams.
The twigs have diameters of 3.5 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.
The Zande appear to use two different types of rat trap; a rigid variety with thorns set inside the mouth, as here (see also 1931.59.1-2), and a flexible trap without thorns (see 1931.59.4-5). Evans-Pritchard was probably referring to these two types when he commented that "the funnel-shaped baskets used to trap mice ( ngbatu ) are of two kinds, the one Mbomu and the other Miangba" (E.E. Evans-Pritchard, 1963 "A Further Contribution to the Study of Zande Culture", Africa 33.3, p. 191), although it is not clear which of these types is represented here. The Lotuko also use a similar style of rigid trap (see 1946.3.16), while Schweinfurth describes Bongo boys using similar basketry tubes to catch rats and field mice, as a source of food, or to use as bait in catching cats (G. Schweinfurth, 1873, The Heart of Africa Vol. 1, pp 273-4).
Rachael Sparks 27/8/2005.
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.
The Zande appear to use two different types of rat trap; a rigid variety with thorns set inside the mouth, as here (see also 1931.59.1-2), and a flexible trap without thorns (see 1931.59.4-5). Evans-Pritchard was probably referring to these two types when he commented that "the funnel-shaped baskets used to trap mice ( ngbatu ) are of two kinds, the one Mbomu and the other Miangba" (E.E. Evans-Pritchard, 1963 "A Further Contribution to the Study of Zande Culture", Africa 33.3, p. 191), although it is not clear which of these types is represented here. The Lotuko also use a similar style of rigid trap (see 1946.3.16), while Schweinfurth describes Bongo boys using similar basketry tubes to catch rats and field mice, as a source of food, or to use as bait in catching cats (G. Schweinfurth, 1873, The Heart of Africa Vol. 1, pp 273-4).
Rachael Sparks 27/8/2005.
Primary Documentation:
Accession Book Entry
[IX, p.
8] 1931 [insert, in pencil] 59 [end insert] -
E.
E.
EVANS-PRITCHARD
, Esq.
[in pencil] 1-3 - [1 of] 3 Openwork tubular basketry rat-traps, lined with the thorn-bearing twigs from a tree or shrub.
The points of the thorns are directed inwards & prevent the animal’s egress.
AZANDE, WELLE district, E.
SUDAN.
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the tribes catalogue card [RTS 3/2/2004].
Old Pitt Rivers Museum label - Tubular rat-trap, lined with thorny twigs. AZANDE, WELLE dist. E. SUDAN. Pres. by E. Evans Pritchard, 1931 [rectangular metal-edged tag, tied to object; RTS 7/7/2004].
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the tribes catalogue card [RTS 3/2/2004].
Old Pitt Rivers Museum label - Tubular rat-trap, lined with thorny twigs. AZANDE, WELLE dist. E. SUDAN. Pres. by E. Evans Pritchard, 1931 [rectangular metal-edged tag, tied to object; RTS 7/7/2004].
