Zande bowl
Other views of this artifact:
Accession Number:
1930.86.51
Country:
Sudan
Region:
[Southern Sudan]
Cultural Group:
Zande
Date Made:
By 1930
Materials:
Gourd Plant , Plant Fibre
Process:
Hollowed , Dried , Decorated , Pyroengraved Pokerwork , Repaired (local) , Perforated Twisted Stitched Knotted
Dimensions:
Rim L = 347, W = 277 mm; mouth L = 335, mouth W = 259 mm; ht = 180, rim th = 6 mm [RTS 8/6/2005].
Weight:
280.8 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. Purchased from Edward Evans-Pritchard for the PRM by Henry Balfour on 31 December
Field Collector:
Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard
PRM Source:
Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard
Acquired:
Purchased 31 December 1930
Collected Date:
1927 - 1930
Description:
Hemispherical bowl made from a gourd, split longitudinally down the centre, with the pulpy interior removed and the shell dried out.
It consists of a narrow flat topped rim, slightly indented on one side and thickened on the rim opposite; these areas represent the base and neck of the original gourd plant.
The body is oval in plan view, and quite deep, with convex walls sloping down to a convex base.
A hole has been burnt through the upper wall in the indented side, and fitted with a length of twisted 2-ply plant fibre cord to form a suspension loop with long trailing ends, in a yellow colour (Pantone 7509C).
The interior is a matt yellow (Pantone 7508C), with considerable insect damage, while the exterior is a smooth orange colour (Pantone 7511C).
T
he flat upper part of the rim has been burnt black (Pantone Black 7C).
The upper part of the exterior walls have been covered with a geometric pattern burnt into the surface using a heated spear or knife.
This consists of 5 parallel lines that run around the circumference directly below the rim, then 5 broader bands of decoration, each made of a running wave pattern filled in with close hatching, over a thin horizontal base line.
The waves create a series of plain reserved semi circles around the body, with the peak of each wave aligned with that in the adjacent bands.
The bowl is complete, but has numerous insect bore holes across the surface.
It has suffered from numerous breaks.
One crack, running down from the rim, has been given a local repair, with pairs of holes bored on either side of the break then stitched across with fibre cord, of similar colour and size to that used for the suspension loop.
This has simple horizontal stitches across the inner face, but a more complex finish on the outer face where the cord has been woven to form a thicker vertical band that stands proud of the surface.
A longer crack runs down from the rim on the other side of the vessel, forking at its base; this has been mended in 2 places using copper staples across the join and may be a museum mend rather than indigenous.
A further section of rim that had broken off has also been glued back in place.
The bowl has a weight of 280.8 grams.
The rim measures 347 by 277 mm across its outside edges, and 335 by 259 mm across its mouth, with a height of 180 mm and a rim thickness of 6 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 item was purchased from Edward Evans-Pritchard for the PRM by Henry Balfour on 31 December 1930, as part of a group of objects, for a total cost of £25.
Larken describes the manufacture of Zande gourds as follows: "After cutting, they are soaked in the stream until the interior has rotted, when it is picked out through a small hole with a stick. New gourds are of an alabaster colour, but age and use soon turn them yellow. Divided in half, they form bowls for water or seed." (P.M. Larken, 1927, "Impressions of the Azande", Sudan Notes and Records X, p. 131). Gourd bowls of this type are fairly common amongst Nilotic groups, including the Dinka, Nuer, Anuak and Southern Larim, frequently with pyroengraved decoration as seen on this example.
Rachael Sparks 17/8/2005.
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 item was purchased from Edward Evans-Pritchard for the PRM by Henry Balfour on 31 December 1930, as part of a group of objects, for a total cost of £25.
Larken describes the manufacture of Zande gourds as follows: "After cutting, they are soaked in the stream until the interior has rotted, when it is picked out through a small hole with a stick. New gourds are of an alabaster colour, but age and use soon turn them yellow. Divided in half, they form bowls for water or seed." (P.M. Larken, 1927, "Impressions of the Azande", Sudan Notes and Records X, p. 131). Gourd bowls of this type are fairly common amongst Nilotic groups, including the Dinka, Nuer, Anuak and Southern Larim, frequently with pyroengraved decoration as seen on this example.
Rachael Sparks 17/8/2005.
Primary Documentation:
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] 51 [end insert] - Large calabash bowl, showing native stitched mending, 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 2/2/2004].
Pre-PRM label? - Zande [Large cream label, tied to object; RTS 7/6/2005].
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 "1 Calabash, mended (Zande)". The file also contains an undated list of 48 objects, which does not seem to match accessioned material and could be the list of rejected items that Balfour mentions in the letter described above. A second letter is on file from Evans-Pritchard to Mr. Malcolm dated 12 December 1930, offering him some 81 Zande and Nuer objects. As Malcolm was curator of the Wellcome Historical Medical Museum, it seems unlikely that these objects were ever sent to the Pitt Rivers Museum and this letter is only useful as background for Evans-Pritchard's attritudes to the intended future use of his material, and as evidence for the temporary storage of these objects in Professor Seligman's office in the London School of Economics at the time [RTS 17/8/2005].
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 2/2/2004].
Pre-PRM label? - Zande [Large cream label, tied to object; RTS 7/6/2005].
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 "1 Calabash, mended (Zande)". The file also contains an undated list of 48 objects, which does not seem to match accessioned material and could be the list of rejected items that Balfour mentions in the letter described above. A second letter is on file from Evans-Pritchard to Mr. Malcolm dated 12 December 1930, offering him some 81 Zande and Nuer objects. As Malcolm was curator of the Wellcome Historical Medical Museum, it seems unlikely that these objects were ever sent to the Pitt Rivers Museum and this letter is only useful as background for Evans-Pritchard's attritudes to the intended future use of his material, and as evidence for the temporary storage of these objects in Professor Seligman's office in the London School of Economics at the time [RTS 17/8/2005].
