Zande bowl
Other views of this artifact:
Accession Number:
1931.66.3
Country:
Sudan
Region:
[Southern Sudan]
Cultural Group:
Zande
Maker:
Possibly Mbitim?
Date Made:
By 1930
Materials:
Pottery
Process:
Handbuilt , Coiled ? , Fire-Hardened , Decorated , Impressed , Incised Burnished
Dimensions:
Ht = 124, rim diam = 187 by 192, internal mouth diam = 175 by 180, shoulder W = 188, base W = 85 mm [RTS 15/11/2004].
Weight:
742.7 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 [CM; RTS 6/7/2004].
Field Collector:
Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard
PRM Source:
Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard
Acquired:
Donated December 1931
Collected Date:
1927 - 1930
Description:
Handmade pottery bowl with walls of irregular thickness and horizontal ridging that suggests the vessel was coil formed.
It has been made from a well levigated clay with numerous small to large gold-coloured mica inclusions, fired a mottled pinkish brown (Pantone 7515C) with black patches (Pantone black 7C) inside and out.
The exterior has been burnished.
The vessel is circular in plan view and has an everted rim with narrow flat upper surface sloping down to the outside edge, and a bow-shaped exterior profile, flaring convexly in to a short, broad, concave neck, before turning out to a high carinated shoulder, then down and in to a narrow flat base.
The flat upper rim has been tooled to produce 4 parallel grooves that run around its circumference. The walls of the mouth interior slope concavely down to their junction with the neck, at which point there are 3 similar grooves running around the body. The rest of the interior has been left plain, except for the centre of the base which is decorated with a shallow incised 15-point star radiating out from the centre, with the arms made up of straight lines. The exterior is more elaborately decorated, and consists of a band of oblique incised hatching just below the rim, then 2 incised grooves with a narrow band of short oblique hatching between. At the top of the neck, 2 similar grooves frame a very thin raised collar with a row of very small impressed squares running around its surface. This group is repeated at the base of the neck. The upper shoulder is covered with two double rows of impressed squares, with a broader band between made up of a series of broad vertical impressed lines, with the clay between raised, creating a fluted effect, although not as modelled as seen on other bowls in this group (such as 1930.86.44). Below this the shoulder curve is covered with a band of incised oblique hatching, matching the band on the rim, then a row of impressed squares that becomes 2 rows in some sections. The rest of the body has been divided into 5 parts, each framed by a vertical band of decoration. These bands are formed by double vertical rows of impressed squares, divided down their length by short horizontal rows into 3 squares, with 6-point stars in the top and bottom square, each made of double rows of impressions with a circular impressed dot at their centre, and at the ends of some arms; the central part of each strip is filled with closely-spaced impressed squares. The very top of each strip has a short rectangle filled with similar impressions, that interrupts the band of oblique hatching on the shoulder. The panels between each strip are filled with a semicircle pendant from the shoulder, formed from framing rows of impressed squares and filled with crosshatched rows of the same, then a second crescent-shaped motif similarly framed and filled hanging between the side strips, with impressed circles marking its ends. Just above the base, this whole area is closed with a double row of impressed squares, above a band of very shallow fluting made in the same way as the band on the upper shoulder, with another double row marking the edge of the base. The centre of the base underside is decorated with a circle of impressed squares, with a series of straight rows of these marks radiating outwards from it.
This vessel has been decorated using at least 3 types of tools. One is capable of producing broad, concave shallow grooves, applied with a minimum of turning of the vessel body, as they are not very regular; the second produces shallow circular depressions, and the third has an angular, square leading edge that produces a smaller, square depression. The bowl is complete and intact, and has a weight of 742.7 rams. It is 124 mm high, and has a external rim diameter of 187 by 192 mm, and an internal mouth diameter of 175 by 180 mm; the shoulder width is 188 mm, and the base is 85 mm wide.
This bowl was 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. He does not mention its local name. For other Zande bowls in the collection see 1930.86.42-44 and 1931.66.2; for anthropomorphic jars, see 1934.8.134 and 1950.12.117-8; for bookends, see 1934.8.135 and 1996.53.1. All are made in comparable style out of a similar fabric, and are comparable to pieces produced by the potter Mbitim, who operated a workshop at Li Rangu in the 1930's, and was filmed by Percy Horace Gordon Powell-Cotton (see Mrs Powell Cotton, "Village Handicrafts in the Sudan", Man 34 (112), pp 90-91) . Confirmed examples of his work may be found at the Cleveland Museum of Art (1996.301-302) and the British Museum (1934.3-8.27 and 1931.3-21.48). The Pitt Rivers Museum holds several tools and clay samples from his workshop (see 1934.8.132).
Larken discusses Zande customs regarding the collection and working of clay. Clay is usually found on the banks of a stream, and prepared by pounding it in a mortar before shaping it by hand. Tools are limited to pieces of gourd or a rounded pebble for smoothing; decoration is applied by something simple, such as a short stick bound with cord. He describes two kinds of vessels that are made, one with a low collar around the mouth, and another with a bow-shaped neck (see 1931.66.2-3). The smaller pots are said to be used for cooking meat, the larger ones for water or making bakinde; other pots are for brewing beer, while long-necked varieties are used for washing the face and hands - this last type may have a head adorning the neck. Each type has its own Zande name. Decoration often covers the whole surface. Larken goes on to describe the firing and finishing: "When dry, pots are turned upside down and baked in the open, only certain kinds of wood being suitable for the fire. While still red-hot, they are splashed with water in which bark of the ndili tree has been soaked, in order to blacken them. A black polish is sometimes given to the smooth surfaces, by means of graphite grains, which are mixed with water and a little powdered ironstone, painted on the clay and gently but continually rubbed into it with a polishing-pebble before the pot is fired". The resulting vessel is not very strong, and only slightly porous, if at all; broad leaves may be used for a lid, if required (P.M. Larken, 1927, "Impressions of the Azande", Sudan Notes and Records X, pp 129-131). According to Evans-Pritchard, all Zande potters were male (Evans-Pritchard 1971, The Azande, p. 95).
Another characteristic of Zande pottery is that it is frequently mixed with small flecks of mica, which naturally occurs in beds throughout the region, known as hilidiwe, meaning 'slough of the moon' (P.M. Larken, 1926, "An Account of the Zande", Sudan Notes and Records IX no. 1, p. 4). Schweinfurth noted the presence of mica in both Bongo and Zande pottery, which he suggested made their wares very brittle. He believed this mix to be naturally occurring and that potters did not know how to remove it from their fabrics: "... [Zande potters] have no idea of the method of giving their clay a proper consistency by washing out the particles of mica and by adding a small quantity of sand" (G. Schweinfurth, 1873, In the Heart of Africa Volume I, p. 292; Volume II, p. 25). This mica may well have been left in the clay deliberately, as it gives the vessels an attractive sparkle, and does not seem to have impaired the plasticity of the material, as the detailed modelling of several Zande vessels demonstrates.
Evans-Pritchard suggests that pottery production is "... an art of the Ambomu, who made certain types of pottery... used for carrying water, ablutions, brewing beer, boiling oil, roasting and boiling met, etc. On the whole it was asserted that small-mouthed pots were Mbomu and that designs with larger mouths came from the south, especially from the Mangbetu." (E.E. Evans-Pritchard, 1971, The Azande , p. 95).
Rachael Sparks 24/8/2005.
The flat upper rim has been tooled to produce 4 parallel grooves that run around its circumference. The walls of the mouth interior slope concavely down to their junction with the neck, at which point there are 3 similar grooves running around the body. The rest of the interior has been left plain, except for the centre of the base which is decorated with a shallow incised 15-point star radiating out from the centre, with the arms made up of straight lines. The exterior is more elaborately decorated, and consists of a band of oblique incised hatching just below the rim, then 2 incised grooves with a narrow band of short oblique hatching between. At the top of the neck, 2 similar grooves frame a very thin raised collar with a row of very small impressed squares running around its surface. This group is repeated at the base of the neck. The upper shoulder is covered with two double rows of impressed squares, with a broader band between made up of a series of broad vertical impressed lines, with the clay between raised, creating a fluted effect, although not as modelled as seen on other bowls in this group (such as 1930.86.44). Below this the shoulder curve is covered with a band of incised oblique hatching, matching the band on the rim, then a row of impressed squares that becomes 2 rows in some sections. The rest of the body has been divided into 5 parts, each framed by a vertical band of decoration. These bands are formed by double vertical rows of impressed squares, divided down their length by short horizontal rows into 3 squares, with 6-point stars in the top and bottom square, each made of double rows of impressions with a circular impressed dot at their centre, and at the ends of some arms; the central part of each strip is filled with closely-spaced impressed squares. The very top of each strip has a short rectangle filled with similar impressions, that interrupts the band of oblique hatching on the shoulder. The panels between each strip are filled with a semicircle pendant from the shoulder, formed from framing rows of impressed squares and filled with crosshatched rows of the same, then a second crescent-shaped motif similarly framed and filled hanging between the side strips, with impressed circles marking its ends. Just above the base, this whole area is closed with a double row of impressed squares, above a band of very shallow fluting made in the same way as the band on the upper shoulder, with another double row marking the edge of the base. The centre of the base underside is decorated with a circle of impressed squares, with a series of straight rows of these marks radiating outwards from it.
This vessel has been decorated using at least 3 types of tools. One is capable of producing broad, concave shallow grooves, applied with a minimum of turning of the vessel body, as they are not very regular; the second produces shallow circular depressions, and the third has an angular, square leading edge that produces a smaller, square depression. The bowl is complete and intact, and has a weight of 742.7 rams. It is 124 mm high, and has a external rim diameter of 187 by 192 mm, and an internal mouth diameter of 175 by 180 mm; the shoulder width is 188 mm, and the base is 85 mm wide.
This bowl was 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. He does not mention its local name. For other Zande bowls in the collection see 1930.86.42-44 and 1931.66.2; for anthropomorphic jars, see 1934.8.134 and 1950.12.117-8; for bookends, see 1934.8.135 and 1996.53.1. All are made in comparable style out of a similar fabric, and are comparable to pieces produced by the potter Mbitim, who operated a workshop at Li Rangu in the 1930's, and was filmed by Percy Horace Gordon Powell-Cotton (see Mrs Powell Cotton, "Village Handicrafts in the Sudan", Man 34 (112), pp 90-91) . Confirmed examples of his work may be found at the Cleveland Museum of Art (1996.301-302) and the British Museum (1934.3-8.27 and 1931.3-21.48). The Pitt Rivers Museum holds several tools and clay samples from his workshop (see 1934.8.132).
Larken discusses Zande customs regarding the collection and working of clay. Clay is usually found on the banks of a stream, and prepared by pounding it in a mortar before shaping it by hand. Tools are limited to pieces of gourd or a rounded pebble for smoothing; decoration is applied by something simple, such as a short stick bound with cord. He describes two kinds of vessels that are made, one with a low collar around the mouth, and another with a bow-shaped neck (see 1931.66.2-3). The smaller pots are said to be used for cooking meat, the larger ones for water or making bakinde; other pots are for brewing beer, while long-necked varieties are used for washing the face and hands - this last type may have a head adorning the neck. Each type has its own Zande name. Decoration often covers the whole surface. Larken goes on to describe the firing and finishing: "When dry, pots are turned upside down and baked in the open, only certain kinds of wood being suitable for the fire. While still red-hot, they are splashed with water in which bark of the ndili tree has been soaked, in order to blacken them. A black polish is sometimes given to the smooth surfaces, by means of graphite grains, which are mixed with water and a little powdered ironstone, painted on the clay and gently but continually rubbed into it with a polishing-pebble before the pot is fired". The resulting vessel is not very strong, and only slightly porous, if at all; broad leaves may be used for a lid, if required (P.M. Larken, 1927, "Impressions of the Azande", Sudan Notes and Records X, pp 129-131). According to Evans-Pritchard, all Zande potters were male (Evans-Pritchard 1971, The Azande, p. 95).
Another characteristic of Zande pottery is that it is frequently mixed with small flecks of mica, which naturally occurs in beds throughout the region, known as hilidiwe, meaning 'slough of the moon' (P.M. Larken, 1926, "An Account of the Zande", Sudan Notes and Records IX no. 1, p. 4). Schweinfurth noted the presence of mica in both Bongo and Zande pottery, which he suggested made their wares very brittle. He believed this mix to be naturally occurring and that potters did not know how to remove it from their fabrics: "... [Zande potters] have no idea of the method of giving their clay a proper consistency by washing out the particles of mica and by adding a small quantity of sand" (G. Schweinfurth, 1873, In the Heart of Africa Volume I, p. 292; Volume II, p. 25). This mica may well have been left in the clay deliberately, as it gives the vessels an attractive sparkle, and does not seem to have impaired the plasticity of the material, as the detailed modelling of several Zande vessels demonstrates.
Evans-Pritchard suggests that pottery production is "... an art of the Ambomu, who made certain types of pottery... used for carrying water, ablutions, brewing beer, boiling oil, roasting and boiling met, etc. On the whole it was asserted that small-mouthed pots were Mbomu and that designs with larger mouths came from the south, especially from the Mangbetu." (E.E. Evans-Pritchard, 1971, The Azande , p. 95).
Rachael Sparks 24/8/2005.
Primary Documentation:
Accession Book Entry
[IX, p.
16] 1931 [insert, in pencil] 66 [end insert]
E.
EVANS-PRITCHARD
, Esq.
Dec.
Specimens collected by himself in the EASTERN SUDAN, viz.
[insert, in pencil] 2-3 [end insert] - [One of] 2 Decorated pottery bowls, AZANDE.
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the tribes catalogue card [RTS 3/2/2004].
Written on object - Decorated pot. AZANDE, WELLE, E. SUDAN. d.d. E. Evans-Pritchard 1931 [rectangular paper label stuck to surface of vessel; RTS 15/11/2004].
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the tribes catalogue card [RTS 3/2/2004].
Written on object - Decorated pot. AZANDE, WELLE, E. SUDAN. d.d. E. Evans-Pritchard 1931 [rectangular paper label stuck to surface of vessel; RTS 15/11/2004].
