1979.20.160

Collection type

Object

Description

Unfinished wooden 3 legged stool, used by men or elders of both sexes [RTS 22/3/2005].

Long description

Unfinished stool carved from a single piece of yellowish brown wood (Pantone 7403C). This is an example of 'found form', where a naturally occurring tree branch with subsidiary limbs coming off the main body has been chosen because its shape was particularly suited to the intended use. This was shaped by trimming off excess foliage, cutting the legs to the same height and removing the outer bark covering; however in this instance, the dark reddish brown coloured bark has still been left on the surface of the back leg (Pantone black 7C to 4625C). This might suggest that the actual trimming to shape occurred before the surface was finished. The stool consists of a narrow seat, almost inperceptibly flattened across the top but retaining a convex curve across its width, and a much stronger concave curve across its length, rising to either end where at the front the flattening of the upper surface becomes more marked. This front end is also broader, and has been cut flat across the front face before thickening below. The back end has also been trimmed and is almost circular in section. Two branches extend from the underside of the seat. The one at the front is thicker, with a central shaft that divides at its base to form 2 legs that splay out in opposite directions, in an inverted Y shape, while a single branch extends from the back of the stool, almost at right angles to the body. The bases of the front legs have been cut at a marked angle; these rest on the edges of the feet, but show no use-wear on these surfaces. The back leg has been cut flat across its underside, and has a very small amount of polish running along the centre. The stool is complete and intact; there are a few scorch marks over knots in the wood, where smaller branches appear to have been burnt off. It has a weight of around 749.1 grams, and is 509 mm long, with a height of 228 mm. The seat is 460 mm long, 32.2 mm wide and 33 mm thick; the back leg has a diameter of 22.5 by 21.5 mm; the bark is 2 mm thick [RTS 22/3/2005].

Geographical reference

South Sudan

Africa > Eastern Africa > South Sudan

Eastern Equatoria Napongayit

Cultural groups

Northern Laarim

Person

Field collector Patti Langton

PRM source Patti Langton

Date / Period

Date made: Before 1979

Date collected

24 March 1979

Acquisition information

Purchased: 1979

Materials and processes

Material Wood Plant, Material Bark Wood Plant, Process Carved, Process Burnt

Dimensions

Height: max 230 mm, Length: max 508 mm, Width: max 194 mm, Weight 749.1 g

Object numbers

Accession number: 1979.20.160 Other numbers: Langton Collection PL 53

Research and responses

This type of object is known as taba, and was probably made by specialist men. They are used as stools by men, and by women when they become old. Some stools are specially made for elders. For a similar example, see 1979.20.161, which was purchased with a cotton shirt [RTS 8/9/2005].

Search terms: Furniture Dwelling, Status, Technique, Stool