Bongo funerary figure
Other views of this artifact:
Accession Number:
1930.86.64
Country:
Sudan
Region:
[Southern Sudan]
Cultural Group:
Bongo
Date Made:
By ?March 1929
Materials:
Wood Plant , Brass Metal
Process:
Carved , Inlaid
Dimensions:
Ht = 930, max W = 185, max th = 190 mm [RTS 12/9/2005].
Weight:
> 1000 g
Other Owners:
Purchased from Edward Evans-Pritchard for the PRM by Henry Balfour on 31 December 1930, as part of a group of objects, total cost £25
Field Collector:
Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard
PRM Source:
Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard
Acquired:
Purchased 31 December 1930
Collected Date:
?March 1929
Description:
Male figure carved from a single piece of banded yellow and reddish brown wood (Pantone 7510C and 476C).
This is probably part of the natural colouring of the wood rather than the result of artificial staining, with most of the figure comprised of the darker wood, with yellow bands running down the outer arms, legs and feet.
The figure has a smooth rounded head, with no attempt to delineate hair, and 2 rounded ears sticking out on either side; these have flat rims and well-shaped interiors.
Facial details are limited to the eyes, which are formed from 2 rectangular pieces of inlaid brass, a prominent nose with flat underside and 2 deep nostrils, and open mouth.
The mouth has been carved with lips that rise slightly from the surface of the wood around them, and a rectangular opening, framed by a row of four teeth at the top, and five or six teeth at the bottom.
The lower row of teeth are less prominent than the upper ones, and one may be damaged.
This head sits on top of a thick, elongated neck, with rounded shoulders below.
The arms hang down on either side of the body, and are unnaturally short in proportion to the rest of the figure, with the hands in line with the waist.
The hands are schematically caved, with a slight groove separating them from the wrists, and a series of v-shaped notches cut into the ends to separate the fingers, of which there are four on each hand.
The figure has a flat-chested torso - with 2 small nipples carved out from the surface, and a smoothly rounded back.
A groove has been cut around the torso base.
The genitals have been carved out, but the buttocks and anus have not been indicated.
The figure has strongly curved legs, with fleshy thighs and calves, and 2 broad boat-like feet that are lentoid-shaped in plan view, and have pointed tips.
The undersides of the feet are flat, but the figure does not stand upright unaided on a straight surface; it may fare better on uneven ground.
The figure is nearly complete, but the end of the penis has broken off and is now missing and there may be some damage to the lower mouth.
Each foot has 3 holes bored into its underside, with red staining inside the cavities.
These do not look original, and may relate to some form of mounting on which the figure was displayed in the past.
The figure has a weight in excess of 1000 grams, and is 930 mm tall, with a maximum width of 185 mm and thickness of 190 mm.
Probably collected during Evans-Pritchard's nine day investigation of the Bongo in March 1929 on way back from Zandeland, as described in his 1929 article The Bongo ( Sudan Notes and Records XII Part I ). Purchased by the Pitt Rivers Museum on 31st December 1930.
This figure is said to be the effigy of a deceased man, for placing near his grave. Petherick noted this practice back in the 19th century: ‘in the centre of the village is a large circus, where, on a tree, their war-trophies - the skulls of the slain - are suspended .... the several approaches to it were narrow footpaths, and both sides were ornamented with rough wooden posts, carved into semblances of human figures, four feet apart; the first were largest in size, the others had on their heads wooden bowls. These figures were said to represent the chief proceeding to a festival, and followed by his retainers, bearing viands and man to the feast’ (J. Petherick, 1861, Egypt, The Sudan and Central Africa, pp 401-2). Schweinfurth also mentions the carving of 'memorial' figures; he calls such an image of a deceased woman moggioh-kummara, or 'the image of the wife', and suggests these images could be set up inside huts as well as near graves; they were used by the Mittu and Sofi as well as the Bongo, and could be dressed with various ornaments. He also illustrates groups of flanged posts and stylised figures from around burials (G. Schweinfurth, 1875, Artes Africanae, pl. VIII figures 5-8). For some of the funerary posts produced by these other groups, see K.-J. Krüger, 2002, "The Arts of Bahr-el-Ghazal (part 2)", Tribal Arts 28, 80-95. See also C.G. Seligman, 1917, "A Bongo Funerary Figure", Man 17 no. 67, and E.E. Evans-Pritchard, 1929, "The Bongo", Sudan Notes and Records XII no I, pp 38-40.
For other styles of grave marker, also attributed to the Bongo, see 1930.86.65 and 1971.27.5.
Rachael Sparks 15/9/2005.
Probably collected during Evans-Pritchard's nine day investigation of the Bongo in March 1929 on way back from Zandeland, as described in his 1929 article The Bongo ( Sudan Notes and Records XII Part I ). Purchased by the Pitt Rivers Museum on 31st December 1930.
This figure is said to be the effigy of a deceased man, for placing near his grave. Petherick noted this practice back in the 19th century: ‘in the centre of the village is a large circus, where, on a tree, their war-trophies - the skulls of the slain - are suspended .... the several approaches to it were narrow footpaths, and both sides were ornamented with rough wooden posts, carved into semblances of human figures, four feet apart; the first were largest in size, the others had on their heads wooden bowls. These figures were said to represent the chief proceeding to a festival, and followed by his retainers, bearing viands and man to the feast’ (J. Petherick, 1861, Egypt, The Sudan and Central Africa, pp 401-2). Schweinfurth also mentions the carving of 'memorial' figures; he calls such an image of a deceased woman moggioh-kummara, or 'the image of the wife', and suggests these images could be set up inside huts as well as near graves; they were used by the Mittu and Sofi as well as the Bongo, and could be dressed with various ornaments. He also illustrates groups of flanged posts and stylised figures from around burials (G. Schweinfurth, 1875, Artes Africanae, pl. VIII figures 5-8). For some of the funerary posts produced by these other groups, see K.-J. Krüger, 2002, "The Arts of Bahr-el-Ghazal (part 2)", Tribal Arts 28, 80-95. See also C.G. Seligman, 1917, "A Bongo Funerary Figure", Man 17 no. 67, and E.E. Evans-Pritchard, 1929, "The Bongo", Sudan Notes and Records XII no I, pp 38-40.
For other styles of grave marker, also attributed to the Bongo, see 1930.86.65 and 1971.27.5.
Rachael Sparks 15/9/2005.
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.
139a, insert] 64-65 [end insert] - [1 of] 2 carved effigies of dead men, for placing near graves.
(One [.64] a complete figure, the other [.65] a post with head carved at the top), BONGO.
[...] [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. [p. 139a]- Figure 3 ft high, post 2' 6".
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the catalogue card [RTS 6/4/2004].
Pitt Rivers Museum label - AFRICA, Sudan. Bongo tribe. Wooden figure, for placing near a grave. Purch. E.E. Evans-Pritchard, 1930.86.64 [plastic coated label, tied to object; RTS 12/9/2005].
Written on object - Grave effigy of a dead man, BONGO, E. SUDAN, Pur. 31.12.1930 (Evans-Pritchard) [RTS 12/9/2005].
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. This item appears on the list as part of the entry "Bongo & Jur carved model grave figures (models)", with a later comment that if Evans-Pritchard is not content with the price offered for the collection, he could 'discard' [i.e. exclude from the purchase] some more of the knives, and one of the grave figures. It is not clear how many figures were originally offered, but the PRM currently has two accessioned for this group (1930.86.64-5). There is therefore the possibility that one of these two figures might be Jur rather than Bongo [JC 22/6/2000; RTS 17/5/2004]. This letter also mentions rejecting a number of items; these may relate to an undated list in the file of 48 objects, which do not seem to match accessioned material.
RDF 1930.86 also contains a letter 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 18/8/2005].
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. [p. 139a]- Figure 3 ft high, post 2' 6".
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the catalogue card [RTS 6/4/2004].
Pitt Rivers Museum label - AFRICA, Sudan. Bongo tribe. Wooden figure, for placing near a grave. Purch. E.E. Evans-Pritchard, 1930.86.64 [plastic coated label, tied to object; RTS 12/9/2005].
Written on object - Grave effigy of a dead man, BONGO, E. SUDAN, Pur. 31.12.1930 (Evans-Pritchard) [RTS 12/9/2005].
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. This item appears on the list as part of the entry "Bongo & Jur carved model grave figures (models)", with a later comment that if Evans-Pritchard is not content with the price offered for the collection, he could 'discard' [i.e. exclude from the purchase] some more of the knives, and one of the grave figures. It is not clear how many figures were originally offered, but the PRM currently has two accessioned for this group (1930.86.64-5). There is therefore the possibility that one of these two figures might be Jur rather than Bongo [JC 22/6/2000; RTS 17/5/2004]. This letter also mentions rejecting a number of items; these may relate to an undated list in the file of 48 objects, which do not seem to match accessioned material.
RDF 1930.86 also contains a letter 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 18/8/2005].
