Jur platter
Other views of this artifact:
Accession Number:
1948.2.142
Country:
Sudan
Region:
[Southern Sudan]
Cultural Group:
Jur
Date Made:
By 1948
Materials:
Wood Plant
Process:
Carved , Stained
Dimensions:
Ht = 184, L between handles = 460, rim L = 360, rim W = 266, rim th = 24.7; handle L = 108.5, handle W = 69.6, handle th = 56.3; leg W = 72, th = 58 mm [RTS 13/4/2005].
Weight:
>1000 g
Other Owners:
Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard
Field Collector:
Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard
PRM Source:
Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard
Acquired:
Found unentered February 1948
Collected Date:
By 1948
Description:
Platter carved from a solid block of wood, consisting of a shallow platter top with thick rounded rim and gently concave interior hollow, sub-rectangular in plan view.
This is flanked on either end with 2 large lug handles, carved in the shape of a stylised animal's head with 2 upright horns and a deep v-shaped groove between, on a triangular head with vertically shaved sides tapering down to a blunt muzzle.
These do not extend to the ground.
The underside of the platter is slightly convex, flattening towards the centre, and has four thick legs extending from it.
Each leg is roughly oval in plan view, and has been shaved down the sides to give it a faceted or fluted appearance.
The wood is yellow (Pantone 7509C), but has been stained over the visible areas with a dark brown to reddish brown colour (Pantone 731C); the surface has also been polished.
The stool is nearly complete; the lower part of one handle, and the tip and a small part of the base of the other handle is missing; small sections are also missing from the base of one foot, while there are small cracks in the rim and one foot, and insect bore holes visible around the legs.
It is 184 mm high, and measures 460 mm long between the handles; the platter top is 360 mm long, 266 mm wide and 24.7 mm thick, while the handles are 108.5 mm long, 69.6 mm wide and 56.3 mm thick, and the legs measure 72 by 58 mm across.
Collected by Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard in the Southern Sudan, probably in the 1920’s or 1930’s. It was found in the Pitt Rivers Museum collections without an accession number in 1947, at which time Evans-Pritchard saw the object and identified it as being of possible Jur origin. Although described as a plate, it has a similar form to platter stool 1948.2.141. There are also some parallels with Zande woodwork in the style of this piece, most notably the shaving technique seen on the legs - compare this to Zande objects 1931.66.36 and 1940.12.608 (rubbing board oracles), 1948.2.137 and 140 (bowls), 1948.2.141 (platter stool) or 1917.25.72 (lamellaphone).
Rachael Sparks 18/9/2005.
Collected by Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard in the Southern Sudan, probably in the 1920’s or 1930’s. It was found in the Pitt Rivers Museum collections without an accession number in 1947, at which time Evans-Pritchard saw the object and identified it as being of possible Jur origin. Although described as a plate, it has a similar form to platter stool 1948.2.141. There are also some parallels with Zande woodwork in the style of this piece, most notably the shaving technique seen on the legs - compare this to Zande objects 1931.66.36 and 1940.12.608 (rubbing board oracles), 1948.2.137 and 140 (bowls), 1948.2.141 (platter stool) or 1917.25.72 (lamellaphone).
Rachael Sparks 18/9/2005.
Primary Documentation:
Accession Book Entry
[p.
264] - E.
E.
EVANS-PRITCHARD, INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY, OXFORD.
Found unentered; collected by donor.
[p.
267] 1948.1.142 - ?JUR.
Wooden platter.
Shallow concave top, 14" x 10"; 5" high.
Stands on 4 short thick legs.
Horned animal's head (one damaged) at end as handles - very rough carving.
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the catalogue card [RTS 27/4/2004].
Pitt Rivers Museum label - AFRICA, Sudan. ZANDE. Wooden platter on four legs with stylised animal-head handles. Coll. E.E. Evans-Pritchard. Found unentered Feb. 1948. 1948.2.142 [plastic coated label, tied to object; RTS 13/4/2005].
Written on object - ?JUR (as seen 1947) [pencil, on seat upper]; ?JUR. 1948.2.142. d.d. EVANS-PRITCHARD [ink; RTS 9/4/2005].
Card Catalogue Entry - There is no further information on the catalogue card [RTS 27/4/2004].
Pitt Rivers Museum label - AFRICA, Sudan. ZANDE. Wooden platter on four legs with stylised animal-head handles. Coll. E.E. Evans-Pritchard. Found unentered Feb. 1948. 1948.2.142 [plastic coated label, tied to object; RTS 13/4/2005].
Written on object - ?JUR (as seen 1947) [pencil, on seat upper]; ?JUR. 1948.2.142. d.d. EVANS-PRITCHARD [ink; RTS 9/4/2005].
