Zande box

1930.86.49 .1 .2

Sudan

[Southern Sudan]

Zande

By 1930

Bark Fibre Plant , Wood Plant , Plant Fibre

Carved , Bent , Perforated , Stitched , Pegged , Bound Repaired (local)?

Total ht = 118; [.1] L = 117.7, W = 58.2, Ht = 105, wall th = 1.5, peg diam = 2.5 mm; [.2] L = 128, W = 63, Ht = 45, wall th = 1.5, handle L = 12.5, handle W = 4.7 [RTS 17/5/2005].

116 g [.1 and .2]

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]. Purchased from Edward Evans-Pritchard for the PRM by Henry Bal

Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard

Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard

Purchased 31 December 1930

1927 - 1930

Box and matching lid. The box [.1] consists of a bark body, made from a rectangular piece of brown bark (Pantone 4665C) with the smooth side facing outwards. This has been bent into an elongated oval shape, with the 2 ends overlapping to form a seam down the front, fastened together using yellow strips of plant fibre in 2 vertical rows of chain stitching (Pantone 7509C). This has split the bark lengthways where the stitches penetrate the surface. At its base, this cylinder fits over a flat oval piece of yellowish brown wood (Pantone 7508C) that forms the base of the box, pegged in place around its edges with a series of short wooden rods - 4 on one side, 3 on the other, and a single peg at either end. The lid [.2] has been made using similar techniques, with a top of the same type of wood, fitted and pegged onto a short cylindrical bark body, made in this case from 2 rectangular pieces with overlapping ends double stitched along one seam and with single stitching along the other. 2 short horizontal loop handles have been added to either end, part way down the sides of the lid, made from narrow strips of plant fibre pushed through 2 pairs of holes in either wall and wound round each other. The walls of the lid have been stained dark brownish black (Pantone black 7C); some of the colour trickled across the top of the lid and down the body of the box. One handle has been stained black (while the lid surface beneath it was not), suggesting that this was present when the surface was dyed. However, on the other side, the surface of the lid beneath the handle has been stained, while the handle itself has not. This suggests that this second handle was not present when the lid was dyed; in addition, it has been made in a different way to the first handle, which might suggest it was added later - as a repair or an afterthought. The wooden base and top elements of box and lid have been smoothed on the outer face, while the inner faces were left rough. Both are complete and intact. There are 2 holes piercing the lid, in an oblique line, the spacing of which seems to match 2 holes in the base underside; the meaning of this is unclear, unless the lid was resting on the box base when it was pierced and the implement penetrated through both layers by accident. The lid has a weight of 50.4 grams, while the box body weights 65.4 grams; they have a combined weight of 116 grams and a combined height of 118 mm. The lid itself is 128 mm long, 63 mm wide and 45 mm high, with a wall thickness of 1.5 mm and a handle length of 12.5 mm and width of 4.7 mm. The body is 117.7 mm long, 58.2 mm wide and 105 mm high with a wall thickness of 1.5 mm, while the pegs holding the base and walls together have a diameter of 2.5 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.

This object resembles a European binoculars case; it is not clear if this is accidental or not. Larken gives these a passing mention: "Oval boxes, the sides of bent bark and the tops and bottoms of smooth wood, sewn with bark at the points of juncture … are sometimes made" (P.M. Larken, 1927, "Impressions of the Azande", Sudan Notes and Records X, p. 134).

Rachael Sparks 17/9/2005.

Accession Book Entry [BIV, p. 138] - 1930 [insert] 86 [end insert] E.E. EVANS PRITCHARD 31 Dec. Specimens collected by himself in the EASTERN SUDAN, etc. [...] [p. 139, insert] 49 [end insert] - Elliptical box of bark, stitched, AZANDE. [...] [Base of p. 139, total of items 1930.86.1-65] - P[ai]d by cheque 31 Dec £ 25-0-0 .
Added Accession Book Entry [page opposite 138] - 1930.86 See Related Documents File for letter from Henry Balfour to Evans-Pritchard concerning the purchase of this collection.

Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the catalogue card [RTS 10/2/2004].

Related Documents File - This contains a letter from Balfour to Evans-Pritchard, dated 31 December 1930 that specifies the objects which he would like to purchase for the Pitt Rivers Museum, and suggests a price of £25, which was one quarter of his annual budget. The list matches the objects ultimately accessioned quite closely. This item appears on the list as "Bark box (Zande)" [RTS 17/5/2004].

Pre-PRM label? - Zande [retangular tag, tied to object; RTS 6/4/2005].

Written on object - [.1 and .2] E. SUDAN, AZANDE. Evans-Pritchard coll. Purch. 1930 [RTS 6/4/2005].