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1944.10.56

Carved arrow with incised ebony point on a cane shaft with bound and nocked end [RTS 25/5/2005].

1944.10.56

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Collection type
Object
Description
Carved arrow with incised ebony point on a cane shaft with bound and nocked end [RTS 25/5/2005].
Long description
Arrow consisting of a dark brown ebony arrowhead (Pantone black 4C) with a long, narrow body that swells out slightly then tapers in again just above its base. The upper part has been decorated with finely incised vertical zigzags, so closely spaced as to resemble crosshatching, with 4 pairs of slightly deeper cut incised lines spaced down either side on top of this. Shaving marks are also visible down the body. The tang has been fitted into the socketed top of a yellow cane shaft with at least 5 segments along its body and a slightly oval section (Pantone 729C). The surface has been smoothed and then bound round with narrow strips of a grayish brown animal hide (Pantone Warm Gray 10C), used to strengthen the junction of shaft and tang, with a second section of binding just above the nocked butt with 2 rectangular notches cut into opposite sides; this is loose at one end. The arrow is nearly complete, but missing the tip of the arrowhead, while the shaft has split badly along the body. It has a weight of 37.5 grams and a total length of 980 mm. The visible area of the arrowhead has a length of 275 mm and a diameter of 9.2 mm, while the wooden shaft is 705 mm long, with a diameter of 9.5 mm and a nock length of 9 mm; the binding is 11 mm long around the upper part, and 12 mm long around the lower end [RTS 25/5/2005].
Geographical reference
Sudan, Republic of
Africa > Northern Africa > Sudan, Republic of
Blue Nile Darfung
Cultural groups
Burun
Person
Field collector L. Gorringe
PRM source Mrs L. Gorringe
Date / Period
Date made: Before 1912
Date collected
1902 - 1912
Acquisition information
Donated: 1944
Materials and processes
Material Cane Plant, Material Ebony Wood Plant, Material Animal Hide Skin, Process Carved, Process Notched, Process Socketed, Process Bound, Process Decorated, Process Incised
Dimensions
Length 275 mm arrowhead, Diameter: max 9.5 mm, Length: max 980 mm, Length 705 mm shaft, Weight 37.5 g
Object numbers
Accession number: 1944.10.56
Research and responses

Dar Fung seems to be the same as Darfung, in the Roseires Dam region of the Blue Nile administrative district (see http://www.calle.com/world/sudan/Da.html). The binding material appears to be animal hide, rather than membrane [RTS 26/5/2005].

Search terms: Archery Weapon, Hunting, Arrow, Arrow-head, Arrow Shaft, Weapon