2006.93.19

Collection type

Object

Description

Neck ornament of plant seeds and green glass seed beads, strung on ?fishing wire. Worn by young men during circumcision ceremonies. [MdeA 22/01/2008]

Long description

Neck ornament made of plant seeds and green glass beads which have been strung on synthetic yarn (possibly fishing wire). There are 142 seeds in total and 143 beads. The seeds white / grey in colour and the beads are bottle green. The seeds have been perforated vertically through the centre and are strung end to end. The green beads act as separators with a bead between each seed. Between four of the seeds there are two green beads instead of just one and there there is a bead missing between two seeds. The strings of seeds are worn by young men during circumcision ceremonies. Several strings of seeds are worn at the same time. The strings of are worn diagonally across the breast, going from the neck to under the arm, several strings going in one direction and several in the other. [MdeA 22/01/2008]

Geographical reference

Uganda

Africa > Eastern Africa > Uganda

Mbale District

Cultural groups

Gisu

Bagisu

Person

Field collector Suzette Heald

PRM source Suzette Heald

Date / Period

Date made: Before 1967-1969

Date collected

1967 - 1969

Acquisition information

Donated: 08/11/2006

Materials and processes

Material Plant Seed, Material Synthetic Yarn, Material Bead, Material Glass, Process Strung, Process Perforated

Dimensions

Length: max 780 mm approx, Length: max 10 mm each seed, approx

Object numbers

Accession number: 2006.93.19

Research and responses

According to the donor "On the re-stringing. This must have been done in Bugisu - possibly many times. There were a lot of business dealings with people at the lake so fishing wire would be possible." See Related Documents File for full details. [MdeA 22/01/2008]

Associated publications

See Heald, Suzette 1999. Manhood and Morality: Sex, Violence and Ritual in Gisu Society, London and New York: Routledge. [MdeA 22/01/2008] According to the donor the circumcision regalia in this collection was collected from one of the young men in the film Imbalu: Ritual of Manhood of the Gisu of Uganda, made by Suzette Heald and R. Hawkins in 1988. University of California, Los Angeles. Distributed by the Royal Anthropological Insititute. [MdeA 22/01/2008]

Search terms: Ritual and Ceremonial, Ornament, Bead, Ceremonial Object, Neck Ornament