1945.11.27

Collection type

Object

Description

Ornament made from the basal whorl of a cone shell with a central perforation. [EC 'DCF 2004-2006 What's Upstairs?' 7/10/2005]

Geographical reference

Zambia

Africa > Eastern Africa > Zambia

Upper Zambezi River

Cultural groups

Lozi

Person

Field collector Henry Balfour

PRM source Henry Balfour

Date / Period

Date made: Before 1939?, uncertain

Date collected

?By 1939

Acquisition information

Donated: Donated, uncertain Found unentered: 1945, uncertain

Materials and processes

Material Shell, Material Conus Shell, Process Perforated, Process Ground

Dimensions

Diameter: max 63 mm

Object numbers

Accession number: 1945.11.27

Research and responses

The heading in the accession book implies that items in this particular grouping of apparent Balfour material were definitely donated by Balfour rather than simply ascribed to him for convenience of donors' index as were other groupings under 'Balfour' in this accession book. However, the later entry 'Found unentered' written next to the descriptions of 1945.11.24 and 1945.11.23 implies that not only the latter two items but the rest of this grouping too [1945.11.20 - 1945.11.35] may probably or possibly rather than definitely attributable to Balfour. [SHD 27/4/2000]

Referred to in 'Lewanika's Workshop and the Vision of Lozi Arts, Zambia', by Karen E. Milbourne, in Sidney Littlefield Kasfir and Till Förster (eds), African Art and Agency in the Workshop (African Expressive Culture series), Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press (2013), pp. 233-51. Milbourne writes (page 241): 'In his unpublished diary, Henry Balfour of Oxford University's Pitt-Rivers [sic] Museum wrote of the means by which he collected Lozi objects for the museum. He never actually ventured into Barotseland proper. Instead, on Thursday, September 14, 1095, he "went with Mr. Fry in one of Carter's canoes with five Barotse paddlers up to Livingstone. Landed there and...went to a native curios store supplied by King Lewanika, bought a fine Lozi basket there, a carved wooden vessel, kangombio etc." Among the other materials he collected are conus shells and their celluloid replicas. On the labels for these objects, he indicates that they were valued as highly as two to three oxen apiece and were worn by men. In fact, they are the prerogative of Lozi royals. If, in fact, Balfour did see men wearing such shells during his shopping expedition, it would suggest that Lewanika's shop was staffed by royals or high-standing officials of the court.' [JC 5 11 2014]

Search terms: Ornament, Status, Neck Ornament, Status Object