1979.20.176.2

Collection type

Object

Description

Cleaning feather for flute 1979.20.176.1 [RTS 7/9/2005].

Long description

Cleaning feather for end-blown flute 1979.20.176.1, usually kept inside the body of the instrument. This consists of a bird's feather with pale yellow quill (Pantone 7401C) and grayish brown barbs (Pantone 7504C and 7532C), many of which have broken off below their tips, probably through usage. The barbs near the tip of the feather have been flattened and stuck together near the quill shaft, while many of the the remaining barbs below have been bent at an angle near their bases, from being forced into the confined space inside the flute. The object, which does not seem to have been modified, has a weight of 0.4 grams and a length of 173 mm; the maximum surviving width is 23 mm, while lower part of the quill measures 3.7 by 3.2 mm [RTS 7/9/2005].

Geographical reference

South Sudan

Africa > Eastern Africa > South Sudan

Eastern Equatoria Loryok

Cultural groups

Southern Laarim

Person

Field collector Jill Goudie

PRM source Patti Langton

Date / Period

Date made: Before 03/1979

Date collected

20 - 25 March 1979

Acquisition information

Purchased: 1979

Materials and processes

Material Bird Feather

Dimensions

Width: max 23 mm, Length: max 173 mm, Weight 0.4 g

Object numbers

Accession number: 1979.20.176.2 Other numbers: ∆27

Research and responses

The feather was found stored inside flute 1979.20.176.1. Cleaning feathers are often found in association with this type of object; for other examples in the collection, see 1940.7.071.2, from the Didinga, and 1979.20.192.2 from the Southern Larim. [RTS 19/9/2005].

Search terms: Tool, Music, Musical Instrument, Flute