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1946.8.102

String of Achatina shell disc beads [RTS 5/5/2004].

1946.8.102

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Collection type
Object
Description
String of Achatina shell disc beads [RTS 5/5/2004].
Long description
Neck or limb ornament made from a cord of two strands of twisted and loosely plaited light yellowish brown fibre (Pantone 466C), on which between 400 to 420 disc beads shaped from shell have been strung. It is impossible to make an accurate count of the number of beads, as some appear to be stuck together, while others that are now separate may be sections that have laminated off an existing bead. These beads have a flat upper and lower surface, straight sides, and a medium sized thread hole through the centre. They range in colour from white to a slightly bluish gray (Pantone 428C), and some are extremely thin, making them partially translucent. Although they vary in thickness, the group has very similar diameters. The cord has been knotted against the terminal beads; one end is then loose and beginning to unravel, the other divides into two strands and then is knotted a second time close to its end. The untied string has an extended length of 507 mm and weighs 18.7 grams; the beads have a diameter of 5.5 mm and a thickness of 1 mm or less, while the cord has a diameter of 1.5 mm [RTS 5/5/2004].
Geographical reference
South Sudan
Africa > Eastern Africa > South Sudan
Bahr el Jebel Eastern Equatoria
Cultural groups
Lotuko
Otuho
Person
Field collector Charles Gabriel Seligman
Field collector Brenda Zara Seligman
PRM source Brenda Zara Seligman
Date / Period
Date made: Before 1946
Date collected
By 1946
Acquisition information
Donated: 1946
Materials and processes
Material Shell, Material Plant Fibre, Process Perforated, Process Twisted, Process Tied, Process Strung
Dimensions
Length 507 mm, Diameter: max 5.5 mm beads, Weight 18.7 g
Object numbers
Accession number: 1946.8.102
Research and responses

Achatina is a species of gastropod; the three main varieties are Achatina fulica (East African land snail), Achatina marginata (West African Land Snail) and Achatina Achatina (Tiger Snail). The Achatina fulica is the smallest of these, with a shell 3-4 inches in length (Source: http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/rarespecies/p/landsnails.htm) [RTS 30/4/2004].

Search terms: Ornament, Bead, Neck Ornament

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