Acholi tablecloth
Other views of this artifact:
Accession Number:
1998.9.12
Country:
Uganda , [Sudan]
Region:
Masindi District Kibanda County Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement [Southern Sudan]
Cultural Group:
Acholi?
Date Made:
By 1997
Materials:
Textile , Wool Yarn Animal , Cotton Yarn Plant , Cotton Textile Plant? , Synthetic Textile?
Process:
Chequer Woven , Machine-made , Embroidered , Stitched , Crocheted , Recycled ? Decorated
Dimensions:
Diam. = 845 by 839 mm; L floral motifs = 135 mm [RTS 22/2/2005].
Weight:
61.3 g
Other Owners:
Bought from the Widows and Orphans association by Tania Kaiser in 1997 for 2500 Ugandan Shillings; sold to PRM on 19th January 1998
Field Collector:
Tania Kaiser
PRM Source:
Tania Kaiser
Acquired:
Purchased 19 January 1998
Collected Date:
1997
Description:
Circular tablecloth cut from a finely woven piece of pale cream coloured cotton or synthetic cloth (paler than Pantone 7499C), probably machine made, in a simple checkweave of over 1, under 1.
This may have been recycled from something like a bed sheet.
The edge is scalloped, with 8 shallow arcs undulating around the circumference.
This has been folded over, and then overstitched using a bright yellow wool that is at least 4-ply in weight in a crochet edging stitch (Pantone 100C).
4 groups of flowers have been embroidered near the centre, equally spaced from each other and curving slightly as though forming part of a circle, with gaps between.
This has been done using a satin stitch in white, green (Pantone 358C), cream (approximately Pantone 600C), light pink (Pantone 176C), dark pink (Pantone 192C), light blue (Pantone 290C) and dark blue cotton yarn (Pantone 661C).
Each motif has been created to the same template, with a blue petalled flower with yellow centre on a leafy stalk, next to a pink petalled flower with yellow centre on a second stem, positioned slightly behind the first and with smaller leaves.
The only variation that occurs is with the placement of different tones of the same colour.
This seems to be a result of the colouring of the yarn itself, which seems to have single skeins dyed in varying tones, thus ranging from white to pale green, pale to darker pink and light to dark blue on a single length of yarn.
This variation is most obvious on the stem and leaf areas.
The embroidery is of high quality, with few errors; it has been done double-sided, so the cloth could be used with either surface facing upwards.
The tablecloth is complete, but has some surface stains that show it has been used.
There is an x-shaped crease running across the centre, where it has been folded into quarters.
It has a weight of 61.3 grams, and a diameter of 845 by 839 mm.
Each embroidered motif is around 135 mm long.
Bought from the Widows and Orphans association by Tania Kaiser in 1997 for 2500 Ugandan Shillings, and purchased by the Pitt Rivers Museum on 19th January 1998. For details of Kaiser's work in Uganda, see: T. Kaiser, 1999, Living in Limbo: Insecurity and the Settlement of Sudanese Refugees in Northern Uganda (Unpublished PhD); T. Kaiser, "Making Do and Making Beautiful: Recycling in an African Refugee Settlement", in: J. Coote, C. Morton and J. Nicholson (eds), Transformations, the Art of Recyclying, 44-47; T. Kaiser, 2000, UNHCR's Withdrawal from Kiryandongo: Anatomy of a Handover , New Issues in Refugee Research Working Paper No. 32, 1, 3.
Compare this with embroidered bedspread 1998.9.11, where the stitching is designed to be viewed from one side only, but which makes use of similar varicoloured yarn. These sorts of handicrafts are made either individually by women, to use, or as gifts, or by women's groups associated with churches or small local development projects, as was the case with this object. These tended to be sold within the community, and some women complained that they lacked the materials needed to carry out this kind of work.
Rachael Sparks 29/8/2005.
Bought from the Widows and Orphans association by Tania Kaiser in 1997 for 2500 Ugandan Shillings, and purchased by the Pitt Rivers Museum on 19th January 1998. For details of Kaiser's work in Uganda, see: T. Kaiser, 1999, Living in Limbo: Insecurity and the Settlement of Sudanese Refugees in Northern Uganda (Unpublished PhD); T. Kaiser, "Making Do and Making Beautiful: Recycling in an African Refugee Settlement", in: J. Coote, C. Morton and J. Nicholson (eds), Transformations, the Art of Recyclying, 44-47; T. Kaiser, 2000, UNHCR's Withdrawal from Kiryandongo: Anatomy of a Handover , New Issues in Refugee Research Working Paper No. 32, 1, 3.
Compare this with embroidered bedspread 1998.9.11, where the stitching is designed to be viewed from one side only, but which makes use of similar varicoloured yarn. These sorts of handicrafts are made either individually by women, to use, or as gifts, or by women's groups associated with churches or small local development projects, as was the case with this object. These tended to be sold within the community, and some women complained that they lacked the materials needed to carry out this kind of work.
Rachael Sparks 29/8/2005.
Primary Documentation:
Day book entry -
20/1[/98].
D[onation].
MdA.
[donor] TANIA KAISER.
1998.9.
AFRICA, UGANDA, MASINIDI DISTRICT, KIRYANDONGO REFUGEE SETTLEMENT.
Collection of objects collected by donor.
Accession entry? - Embroidered tablecloth. The cloth is white, with a yellow (woollen?) edge. Four pairs of pink and blue flowers are embroidered on the cloth. [CW 1/4/98].
Related Documents File - RDF 1998.9: Acquisition Record, dated 19/1/1998, for 'collection of material from Uganda'. Memo dated 21/1/1998 from Jeremy Coote to Julia Cousins, dated 23/1/1998 regarding enclosed invoice for £150 from Tania Kaiser for 'collection of artefacts from Northern Uganda'. This object appears on an attached list as item 13: "Embroidered tablecloth. Bought from the Widows and Orphans Association for 2,500 U[gandan]Sh[illings]". Purchased by PRM for £5. There is also a typed document on file, titled "Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement, Masindi District, Uganda. Background to objects collected from a predominantly Sudanese Acholi community in 1997 by Tania Kaiser". The refugee settlement is described as being 14 kms from Kiryandongo town, near Bweyale and Nyakadot. The population is predominantly Acholi, but other groups represented there include Latuko, Madi, Bari and some Zande. There is a small market within the settlement itself, but many people go to the market at nearby Bweyale. Handcrafts are rarely sold in the settlement or in Bweyale in any systematic way. Most commonly made objects are embroidered tablecloths or bed sheets and crocheted food covers or chair backs; these tend to be produced individually by woman to use or as gifts, or by women's groups associated with churches or small local development projects, who sell them to members of the community; none so far have managed to establish an external market. Individual women complain that they are unable to undertake these sorts of activities as they do not have access to the necessary materials [RTS 15/12/2003].
Pitt Rivers Museum label - PITT RIVERS MUSEUM. AFRICA, UGANDA, MASINDI DISTRICT; SUDANESE ACHOLI? Embroidered tablecloth. Coll. Tania Kaiser, 1997. 1998.9.12 [textile label, sewn onto back; RTS 22/2/2005].
Accession entry? - Embroidered tablecloth. The cloth is white, with a yellow (woollen?) edge. Four pairs of pink and blue flowers are embroidered on the cloth. [CW 1/4/98].
Related Documents File - RDF 1998.9: Acquisition Record, dated 19/1/1998, for 'collection of material from Uganda'. Memo dated 21/1/1998 from Jeremy Coote to Julia Cousins, dated 23/1/1998 regarding enclosed invoice for £150 from Tania Kaiser for 'collection of artefacts from Northern Uganda'. This object appears on an attached list as item 13: "Embroidered tablecloth. Bought from the Widows and Orphans Association for 2,500 U[gandan]Sh[illings]". Purchased by PRM for £5. There is also a typed document on file, titled "Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement, Masindi District, Uganda. Background to objects collected from a predominantly Sudanese Acholi community in 1997 by Tania Kaiser". The refugee settlement is described as being 14 kms from Kiryandongo town, near Bweyale and Nyakadot. The population is predominantly Acholi, but other groups represented there include Latuko, Madi, Bari and some Zande. There is a small market within the settlement itself, but many people go to the market at nearby Bweyale. Handcrafts are rarely sold in the settlement or in Bweyale in any systematic way. Most commonly made objects are embroidered tablecloths or bed sheets and crocheted food covers or chair backs; these tend to be produced individually by woman to use or as gifts, or by women's groups associated with churches or small local development projects, who sell them to members of the community; none so far have managed to establish an external market. Individual women complain that they are unable to undertake these sorts of activities as they do not have access to the necessary materials [RTS 15/12/2003].
Pitt Rivers Museum label - PITT RIVERS MUSEUM. AFRICA, UGANDA, MASINDI DISTRICT; SUDANESE ACHOLI? Embroidered tablecloth. Coll. Tania Kaiser, 1997. 1998.9.12 [textile label, sewn onto back; RTS 22/2/2005].
