Southern Larim cup
Other views of this artifact:
Accession Number:
1979.20.164
Country:
Sudan
Region:
[Southern Sudan] Eastern Equatoria Loryok
Cultural Group:
Southern Larim
Date Made:
By March 1979
Materials:
Gourd Plant , Charcoal
Process:
Hollowed , Dried , Decorated , Incised , Inlaid
Dimensions:
Ht = 85, L rim = 163, W rim = 103, th walls = 3 mm [RTS 24/3/2005].
Weight:
37.6
Other Owners:
Purchased at Loryok for 25 piastres sometime between 20th and 25th March 1979 by Jill Goudie, an archaeologist who was part of the British Institute in Eastern Africa's Expedition to the Southern Sudan, headed by Patti Langton [RTS 12/5/2004].
Field Collector:
Jill Goudie
PRM Source:
Patti Langton
Acquired:
Purchased 1979
Collected Date:
20 - 25 March 1979
Description:
Gourd cup consisting of a narrow flat-topped rim, slightly pinched in at one side and swollen opposite, following the natural shape of the original gourd's base and neck.
The body is hemispherical, with a convex base, and it is roughly oval in plan view.
The interior is a matt yellow colour (Pantone 7508C), while the exterior is a smooth orange (Pantone 1365C), decorated over most of its body with a series of incised and black charcoal inlaid patterns.
These consists of 2 broad bands that run around the circumference below the rim, made up of parallel lines with triangles pendant from the top, and pointing up from the base line, their tips just touching; this creates a series of reserved lozenges, with each of the triangles being filled with crosshatching.
The upper band breaks immediately below the swollen side of the rim; the lower band continues around the body unbroken.
Below this are a series of narrow hatched bands in a zigzag that runs around the circumference, creating 7 triangles that point down towards the plain centre of the vessel's base.
Each of these triangular areas has a smaller crosshatched triangle at its middle.
The execution is irregular, and some lines extend beyond their frames.
The cup is complete and intact, with a reddish brown patch covering the centre of the base interior (Pantone 7522C), presumably representing some former contents.
It has a weight of 37.6 grams and is 85 mm high, 163 mm long and 103 mm wide, with walls that are 3 mm thick.
Purchased at Loryok for 25 piastres sometime between 20th and 25th March 1979 by Jill Goudie, an archaeologist who was part of the British Institute in Eastern Africa's Expedition to the Southern Sudan, headed by Patti Langton.
This type of vessel is said to have been used for drinking water by men, women and children. Despite this, it would appear that some other substance has been held in the cup at some time, creating a reddish brown stain on the interior of the base. The local name for this object was not recorded. For a similar cup, see 1979.20.169. Its decorative design is comparable to that used on gourd bowls 1979.20.163 and 1979.20.167-8.
Northern Larim gourd vessels with similar decoration were made by women, who used a needle to incise the pattern into the surface, then rub charcoal over the lines to colour them. This technique differs from that used by the Dinka, who mark out their designs in charcoal, cut them into the surface with an iron needle then burn them in using a heated spear or knife blade (see 1979.20.91 for an example).
Rachael Sparks 18/8/2005.
Purchased at Loryok for 25 piastres sometime between 20th and 25th March 1979 by Jill Goudie, an archaeologist who was part of the British Institute in Eastern Africa's Expedition to the Southern Sudan, headed by Patti Langton.
This type of vessel is said to have been used for drinking water by men, women and children. Despite this, it would appear that some other substance has been held in the cup at some time, creating a reddish brown stain on the interior of the base. The local name for this object was not recorded. For a similar cup, see 1979.20.169. Its decorative design is comparable to that used on gourd bowls 1979.20.163 and 1979.20.167-8.
Northern Larim gourd vessels with similar decoration were made by women, who used a needle to incise the pattern into the surface, then rub charcoal over the lines to colour them. This technique differs from that used by the Dinka, who mark out their designs in charcoal, cut them into the surface with an iron needle then burn them in using a heated spear or knife blade (see 1979.20.91 for an example).
Rachael Sparks 18/8/2005.
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 alootment of the collection do not appear on her list and have been added here.
See Related Documents file as well.
[p.
204] 1979.20.136 - 193 SOUTHERN SUDAN the LARIM The Larim live about 50 miles west of Kapoeta in the eastern corner of S.
Sudan.
They are a non-Nilotic pastoral people, living in permanent mountain villages.
They are part of the Didinga-Longarim-Murle language group.
They live in the Boya Hills - Boya is the Topasa (neighbouring group) name for the Larim, which is also used by the Administration.
Longarim is the Didinga's name for them but they call themselves the Larim, and that is used here.
[p.
205] The LARIM The collection was made in two parts.
The "PL" labelled material was collected during Pat Langton's stay in a village in the Northern Larim area.
The "∆" labelled material was collected by Jill Goudie, one of the archaeologists on the Expedition, from the base camp LARYOK, among the Southern Larim.
Money is known among the Larim but it is used only for buying beads for women from Kapoeta, or for the few members of the group who would go to Juba.
The women especially were more interested in exchange gifts of salt, cloth & soap.
The Larim material is documented in three parts: a) General Larim pieces - no information as to which section of the Larim it comes from b) the "PL" Collection from the Northern Larim, from three of the eight Northern Larim clans c) the Southern Larim material collected by Jill Goudie, numbered "∆".
[p.
210] 1979.20.163 - 193 SOUTHERN LARIM: Collected by Jill Goudie between 20.3 and 25.3.79 [210] 1979.20.164 Small gourd used for drinking water by men, women & children.
No handle.
L = 16.2 cm.
Coll.
no.
∆2; cost 25 pt.
Additional Accession Book Entry [below accession number in red biro] - A5-F35-1.
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the tribes catalogue card [RTS 26/5/2004].
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. This item appears in Langton's list under the heading 'Southern Larim. These were all collected between 20.3.79 and 25.3.79' [RTS 12/1/2004].
Written on object - 2 [in triangle, pencil]; S. SUDAN, S. LARIM, P. Langton Coll.. 2 [in triangle], 1979.20.164 [RTS 23/3/2005].
Additional Accession Book Entry [below accession number in red biro] - A5-F35-1.
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the tribes catalogue card [RTS 26/5/2004].
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. This item appears in Langton's list under the heading 'Southern Larim. These were all collected between 20.3.79 and 25.3.79' [RTS 12/1/2004].
Written on object - 2 [in triangle, pencil]; S. SUDAN, S. LARIM, P. Langton Coll.. 2 [in triangle], 1979.20.164 [RTS 23/3/2005].
