Zande bowl
Accession Number:
1948.2.133
Country:
Sudan
Region:
[Southern Sudan]
Cultural Group:
Zande
Date Made:
By 1930
Materials:
Wood Plant
Process:
Carved , Decorated , Incised , Stained , Polished
Dimensions:
Ht = 155, L = 453, W rim ext. = 320, rim int. L = 397, int. W = 292, rim th = 11, handle W = 30 mm [RTS 12/4/2005].
Weight:
>1000 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:
Oval bowl carved from a single block of wood, and consisting of a narrow flat-topped rim, which is extended at either end to create 2 rectangular ledge handles that have been cut concavely along their outer faces.
These handles thicken to the centre, but have not been clearly separated from the body of the bowl.
Below the rim, the upper walls have been flattened in a broad band that runs up the sides of each handle, then the rest of the walls are convex down to a convex base.
The interior has been well hollowed out and matches the outer shape of the walls.
This has been left the natural yellow of the wood (Pantone 7508C), while the upper rim, handles, bowl exterior and base underside have all been stained a dark brownish black (Pantone black 7C).
The upper surface of each handle has also been decorated with a series of incised designs.
On one side, there are 2 crosshatched triangles at the centre, flanked by broad, oblique bands of crosshatching that extend to the handle corners.
Each of these bands is made of 3 to 4 vertical lines, over cut by oblique crosshatching.
The second handle has only a single crosshatched triangle at its centre, then 2 similar bands extending from the mouth edge to the handle corners on either side.
The execution of this decoration is quite crude, with several lines overlapping their frames.
The bowl is complete and intact, with numerous tool marks visible over the surface.
It has a height of 155 mm, and measures 453 mm between the handles and 320 mm across the outer rim, with a mouth diameter of 397 by 292 mm.
The rim is 11 mm wide, and the handles have a width of 30 mm.
Collected by Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard during his fieldwork amongst the Zande, which took place during 1927, part of 1928 and 1929 and for several months during 1930.
For a similar bowl on a much larger scale to this example, see 1948.2.137. Wooden bowls and stools were carved by specialist craftsmen from several species of green timber, probably during the dry season, and were used by the people form whom they were acquired. The black staining and polishing was done by the owners themselves.
Rachael Sparks 18/9/2005.
Collected by Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard during his fieldwork amongst the Zande, which took place during 1927, part of 1928 and 1929 and for several months during 1930.
For a similar bowl on a much larger scale to this example, see 1948.2.137. Wooden bowls and stools were carved by specialist craftsmen from several species of green timber, probably during the dry season, and were used by the people form whom they were acquired. The black staining and polishing was done by the owners themselves.
Rachael Sparks 18/9/2005.
Primary Documentation:
Accession Book Entry
[p.
264] - E.
E.
EVANS-PRITCHARD, INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY, OXFORD.
Found unentered; collected by donor.
[p, 265] 1948.2.133 - ZANDE.
Oval bowl; wood.
18" long, 12" across, 6" high.
Rounded bottom.
Criss cross pattern at each end of rim.
Black outside.
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the catalogue card [RTS 2/2/2004].
Pitt Rivers Museum label - AFRICA, Sudan, ZANDE. Deep oval wooden bowl with decorated rim. Coll. E.E. Evans-Pritchard. Found unentered Feb. 1948. 1948.2.133 [plastic coated label, loose in bag with object; RTS 9/4/2005].
Written on object - Zande [pencil, in an oval]; ZANDE. 1948.2.133. d.d. EVANS-PRITCHARD [RTS 9/4/2005].
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the catalogue card [RTS 2/2/2004].
Pitt Rivers Museum label - AFRICA, Sudan, ZANDE. Deep oval wooden bowl with decorated rim. Coll. E.E. Evans-Pritchard. Found unentered Feb. 1948. 1948.2.133 [plastic coated label, loose in bag with object; RTS 9/4/2005].
Written on object - Zande [pencil, in an oval]; ZANDE. 1948.2.133. d.d. EVANS-PRITCHARD [RTS 9/4/2005].
