Dinka Tuich finger ring
Other views of this artifact:
Accession Number:
1979.20.124
Country:
Sudan
Region:
[Southern Sudan] Northern Bahr el Ghazal ?Dhangrial ?Wun Rog ?Mayen
Cultural Group:
Dinka Tuich
Date Made:
By 1979
Materials:
Animal Ivory Tooth
Process:
Carved , Recycled , Polished , Decorated , Incised , Inlaid
Dimensions:
L = 67.5 mm, W ring loop = 41.3 mm, Th ring loop = 12.7 to 14 mm, W projecting tab = 28.8 mm, Th tab = 17.3 mm; diam circles = 3 mm [RTS 9/7/2004].
Weight:
35 g
Local Name:
tung chin
Other Owners:
Collected by Patti Langton between 17th and 26th February 1979, as part of the British Institute in East Africa's expedition to the southern Sudan [RTS 1/6/2004].
Field Collector:
Patti Langton
PRM Source:
Patti Langton
Acquired:
Purchased 1979
Collected Date:
17 - 26 February 1979
Description:
Finger ring carved from a single piece of ivory and consisting of a roughly circular body with large, slightly uneven central hole that would fit a large finger, 21 mm in diameter.
The inside edge and sides are slightly convex, while the outer edge is more strongly curved; the loop varies in thickness across its surface.
This ring is surmounted at its apex with a large projecting piece that tapers out to a flat top.
This has curved sides and is oval in section.
The ring has been decorated on several faces with incised ring and dot motifs; these bear traces of a black infill inside the central dot, probably added to make the pattern stand out from the pale colour of the ivory.
The decoration is extremely worn and barely visible in parts - often only the central dot can still be seen - indicating considerable use-wear.
It has been applied to three surfaces of the ring.
On one side, there is a single dotted circle on the edge of the ring loop, then a vertical row of similar circles running up the centre of the projecting tab, flanked by at least one dotted circle on either side.
At the top of the tab, the flat oval surface has a row of dotted circles running alongside each long edge.
On the other side of the ring, an oblique row of dotted circles runs down near one edge of the tab, with traces of four more dotted circles in the adjacent space, while there are at least three dotted circles covering the surface on the opposite side of the ring loop.
While evidently not complete in its current state, it would seem that the decoration of the two sides of the ring were therefore not identical or symmetrical.
As they cover several different surfaces of the object, this decoration is likely to have been added specifically to the ring, rather than being survivals from the original recycled object.
The object is complete and intact, but has numerous cracks running through the body; it is currently an opaque creamy yellow colour (Pantone 7402C).
It has a weight of 35 grams, and is 67.5 mm long; the ring has a width of 41.3 mm and is from 12.7 to 14 mm thick, while the projection is 28.8 mm wide and 17.3 mm thick.
The incised circles have diameters of 3 mm and were all made using a tool of the same size.
Collected by Patti Langton between 17th and 26th February 1979 as part of the British Institute in East Africa's expedition to the southern Sudan. The place of collection was not specified, but would have been either Dhangrial, Wun Rog or Mayen, all of which like in the modern administrative district of Northern Bahr el Ghazal. For a map showing the distribution of Dinka Tuich groups, see J. Ryle, 1982, Warriors of the White Nile: The Dinka , p. 25.
This type of ring is called tung chin ; they are made from broken ivory arm ornaments, and are mostly worn on the left hand, as the right hand is used for eating. Nebel defines the term Tung, plural tuong, as ‘horn, small ivory bracelet’ (Nebel 1979, Dinka-English Dictionary, p. 85), while ciin, plural cin, means ‘hand, finger’ (op.cit., p. 19). According to one source, amongst the Dinka finger rings are used to indicate status, and are worn by men only (A. Fisher, 1984, Africa Adorned, p. 57; similar style rings are illustrated on pages 57 and 59). John Mack has in his slide collection an image of a Dinka chief, also an ivory carver, seated with a pile of these finger rings before him on a mat (shown in a public lecture on 'Peoples of the Southern Sudan' at the British Museum, 8th October 2004).
Currently on display in the Upper Gallery, Case 26A.
Rachael Sparks 25/9/2005.
Collected by Patti Langton between 17th and 26th February 1979 as part of the British Institute in East Africa's expedition to the southern Sudan. The place of collection was not specified, but would have been either Dhangrial, Wun Rog or Mayen, all of which like in the modern administrative district of Northern Bahr el Ghazal. For a map showing the distribution of Dinka Tuich groups, see J. Ryle, 1982, Warriors of the White Nile: The Dinka , p. 25.
This type of ring is called tung chin ; they are made from broken ivory arm ornaments, and are mostly worn on the left hand, as the right hand is used for eating. Nebel defines the term Tung, plural tuong, as ‘horn, small ivory bracelet’ (Nebel 1979, Dinka-English Dictionary, p. 85), while ciin, plural cin, means ‘hand, finger’ (op.cit., p. 19). According to one source, amongst the Dinka finger rings are used to indicate status, and are worn by men only (A. Fisher, 1984, Africa Adorned, p. 57; similar style rings are illustrated on pages 57 and 59). John Mack has in his slide collection an image of a Dinka chief, also an ivory carver, seated with a pile of these finger rings before him on a mat (shown in a public lecture on 'Peoples of the Southern Sudan' at the British Museum, 8th October 2004).
Currently on display in the Upper Gallery, Case 26A.
Rachael Sparks 25/9/2005.
Primary Documentation:
Accession Book Entry
[p.
185] - 1979.20 (.1 - 206) P[urchase] MISS PATTI LANGTON, DEPT.
of ETHNOLOGY & PREHISTORY, OXFORD.
Collection made by Patti Langton during the British Institute in East Africa's expedition to the Southern Sudan; Jan.
- April 1979.
The collection was made in three culture areas during the dry season.
The amount paid for each object is listed if the information is known.
In Jan.
1979 £1 is equivalent to 95 piastres (pt.) Sudanese.
This documentation is based largely upon Patti's own list of objects and her notes on these.
Sometimes objects included in the Pitt Rivers alottment of the collection do not appear on her list and have been added here.
See Related Documents file as well.
[p.
191] 1979.20.43-135 SOUTHERN SUDAN the DINKA TUICH.
The Dinka Tuich, a pastoral people, live to the north of Wau, in Bahr el Ghazal province.
This collection was made mostly at Dhangrial, the archaeological site at which we camped.
Other artifacts were collected either at Wun Rog, a small town about a mile south of Dhangrial, or at Mayen, the new administrative centre 12 miles north.
This was a remote area, difficult of access and rarely visited by outsiders.
The Dinka are very aware of the potential of money, which is used either to help family members acquire education or entry into commerce and administration in Juba or Khartoum.
Once it was known we (the collectors) were offering money, the Dinka in surrounding compounds came daily, increasing prices as often as they could! [p.
202] 1979.20.121 - 124 Ivories are purchased from Baggara Arabs in Onedurman.
Sometimes a whole tusk is taken to Juba to be made into bracelets.
The exchange value for a bracelet is one cow.
The black circle decorations are made with a special instrument along cracks in the ivory, as it is thought to prevent them breaking.
They can also be purely decorative.
When the arm band breaks it is used to make narrower bracelets, rings and earrings by the local ivorymaker.
[p.
203] 1979.20.124 Ivory ring,
tung chin
, faintly decorated with [Drawing of circle with a dot in the center].
Mostly worn on the left hand, as the right hand is used for eating.
Made from broken ivory armbands.
L = 6.8 cm., Diam.
hole = 2 cm.
Additional Accession Book Entry [below accession number in red biro] - A5-F33-3.
Card Catalogue Entry - The catalogue card repeats the accession book entry, but adds that there is no Langton collection number [RTS 9/3/2004].
Related Documents File - 1979.20 contains a typed packing list, which has been annotated; a typed list of objects arranged by Langton collection numbers and with pencil and biro annotations, and a handwritten list of objects by museum number, essentially repeating this information and annotated with PRM photo numbers in red. This handwritten list seems to be the direct source for the accession book entry [RTS 12/1/2004].
Additional Accession Book Entry [below accession number in red biro] - A5-F33-3.
Card Catalogue Entry - The catalogue card repeats the accession book entry, but adds that there is no Langton collection number [RTS 9/3/2004].
Related Documents File - 1979.20 contains a typed packing list, which has been annotated; a typed list of objects arranged by Langton collection numbers and with pencil and biro annotations, and a handwritten list of objects by museum number, essentially repeating this information and annotated with PRM photo numbers in red. This handwritten list seems to be the direct source for the accession book entry [RTS 12/1/2004].
