Zande or Jur stool
Other views of this artifact:
Accession Number:
1948.2.141
Country:
Sudan
Region:
[Southern Sudan]
Cultural Group:
?Jur or ?Zande
Date Made:
By 1930
Materials:
Wood Plant , Pigment
Process:
Carved , Stained , Decorated
Dimensions:
Max Ht = 255, seat L = 367, W = 253, th = 26; leg W = 84, th = 69 mm [RTS 11/4/2005].
Weight:
>1000 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:
Found unentered February 1948
Collected Date:
1927 - 1930
Description:
Heavy stool carved from a single block of wood and consisting of a sub-rectangular seat, with rounded corners and a narrow bevelled edge sloping down towards flat sides.
The upper surface is concave across both width and length.
The seat is of fairly regular thickness, with a slightly convex underside on four solid legs.
These legs are positioned near each corner of the seat, and have roughly oval sections and slightly bowed profiles, as they taper in slightly to their flat undersides.
They are roughly oval in section, and have faceted or fluted outer faces made by shaving broad strips down the lengths.
The wood appears to have a natural yellow colour (Pantone 7508C), but has been stained a darker brownish black for decorative effect (Pantone black 7C); this covers the sides of the legs, the stool underside and the flat sides of the seat.
A small triangle has been left reserved in yellow at the centre of the seat underside.
It is complete and intact; there are some water stains on the upper face of the seat and a possible insect bore hole at the top of one leg.
The stool has a height of 255 mm, with the seat measuring 367 by 253 mm across the top and having a thickness of 26 mm; a typical leg is 84 mm wide and 69 mm thick at its centre.
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 cultural attribution of this object is not certain; it is thought to be from either the Zande or the Jur, which probably refers to the Rumbek Jur. Stylistically, it bears a number of similarities to Zande woodworking, in the use of black stained surfaces contrasted with the natural colour of the wood, and the way in which the legs have been shaved in particular. For the latter, see 1931.66.36 and 1940.12.608 (rubbing board oracles), 1948.2.137 and 140 (bowls), 1948.2.142 (platter stool) or 1917.25.72 (lamellaphone).
Wooden food bowls and stools were carved by Zande specialists from several species of green timber, probably during the dry season. Some items were stained by the woodworker - and Evans-Pritchard documents this through a series of photographs that show a craftsman called Kisanga applying a liquid to an object from a clay pot boiling on a fire (see photographic archives accession numbers 1998.341.22, 1998.341.79, 1998.341.316 and 1998.341.319). However elsewhere in museum records he states that wooden objects were stained and polished by the owners themselves.
A four legged stool with oval seat is depicted in Evans-Pritchard's photograph 1998.341.315.
Rachael Sparks 23/08/2005.
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 cultural attribution of this object is not certain; it is thought to be from either the Zande or the Jur, which probably refers to the Rumbek Jur. Stylistically, it bears a number of similarities to Zande woodworking, in the use of black stained surfaces contrasted with the natural colour of the wood, and the way in which the legs have been shaved in particular. For the latter, see 1931.66.36 and 1940.12.608 (rubbing board oracles), 1948.2.137 and 140 (bowls), 1948.2.142 (platter stool) or 1917.25.72 (lamellaphone).
Wooden food bowls and stools were carved by Zande specialists from several species of green timber, probably during the dry season. Some items were stained by the woodworker - and Evans-Pritchard documents this through a series of photographs that show a craftsman called Kisanga applying a liquid to an object from a clay pot boiling on a fire (see photographic archives accession numbers 1998.341.22, 1998.341.79, 1998.341.316 and 1998.341.319). However elsewhere in museum records he states that wooden objects were stained and polished by the owners themselves.
A four legged stool with oval seat is depicted in Evans-Pritchard's photograph 1998.341.315.
Rachael Sparks 23/08/2005.
Primary Documentation:
Accession Book Entry
[p.
264] - E.
E.
EVANS-PRITCHARD, INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY, OXFORD.
Found unentered; collected by donor.
[p, 266] 1948.2.141 - ZANDE, OR JUR.
Platter?,
[insert] Stool [end insert] of wood, concave top 10" x 14".
Stands on 4 thick square legs.
8 1/2" high.
Coloured black except top.
Plain.
[insert] Dark wood [end insert].
Added Accession Book Entry [page opposite 266] - 1948.2.141 Could be either (E[vans].P[ritchard].). Old type of stool. (10.10.58)
Card Catalogue Entry - SUDAN, ZANDE or ?JUR. 1948.2.141. Platter (?) Stool [insert] identified as stool by donor, 10.10.58 [end insert] of old type, of wood, concave top 10" x 14". Stands on thick square legs 8 1/2 " high. Plain. Dark wood. Coll. by donor. d.d. E.E. Evans-Prtichard. [RTS 10/2/2004; there is a second card catalogued under 'Jur' and 'food apparatus' which has the unmodified description of the object as a platter, coloured black except top; all details are otherwise the same. A third card under 'Jur' and 'headrests/stools' gives a similar description to the accession book, but adds that it is 'dark wood, unpainted'].
Pitt Rivers Museum label - AFRICA, Sudan, Zande or Jur. Wooden 4-legged stool with concave seat. Coll. E.E. Evans-Pritchard, found unentered Feb. 1948. 1948.2.141 [plastic coated label, tied to object; RTS 9/4/2005].
Written on object - ? ZANDE or possibly JUR [pencil]; ZANDE or ?JUR, 1948.2.141. d.d. Evans Pritchard [ink; RTS 9/4/2005].
Added Accession Book Entry [page opposite 266] - 1948.2.141 Could be either (E[vans].P[ritchard].). Old type of stool. (10.10.58)
Card Catalogue Entry - SUDAN, ZANDE or ?JUR. 1948.2.141. Platter (?) Stool [insert] identified as stool by donor, 10.10.58 [end insert] of old type, of wood, concave top 10" x 14". Stands on thick square legs 8 1/2 " high. Plain. Dark wood. Coll. by donor. d.d. E.E. Evans-Prtichard. [RTS 10/2/2004; there is a second card catalogued under 'Jur' and 'food apparatus' which has the unmodified description of the object as a platter, coloured black except top; all details are otherwise the same. A third card under 'Jur' and 'headrests/stools' gives a similar description to the accession book, but adds that it is 'dark wood, unpainted'].
Pitt Rivers Museum label - AFRICA, Sudan, Zande or Jur. Wooden 4-legged stool with concave seat. Coll. E.E. Evans-Pritchard, found unentered Feb. 1948. 1948.2.141 [plastic coated label, tied to object; RTS 9/4/2005].
Written on object - ? ZANDE or possibly JUR [pencil]; ZANDE or ?JUR, 1948.2.141. d.d. Evans Pritchard [ink; RTS 9/4/2005].
