2018.108.1

Collection type

Object

Description

Ornate walking stick of wood and ivory with carved zoomorphic handle. [JMC 5/7/2018]

Long description

Ornate walking stick of wood and ivory with carved zoomorphic handle. The stick itself, which is thin and cylindrical, has been carved, or possibly turned, to produce four ribbed sections at various intervals down its length. Between the middle two the stick has been carved to create a twisted effect. Between the top two there are two double bands of incised grooves flanking a deeper groove. There are another three incised grooves just below the third ribbed section. The wood is strikingly split into two colours longitudinally, with half being a light brown colour, while the other half is stained a very dark brown. The butt comprises a tapering cylindrical piece of ivory, squared-off at the end. The handle, which is separated from the stick by an ivory collar, is of a dark, heavy wood. It is roughly a loop, having a carved fish at the bottom with an open mouth, out of which extends a cylindrical section which curves around and terminates in a carved, ivory head of an antelope-like animal, the mouth of which touches the end of the fish. The handle, apart from the ivory, has been painted black. The fish has incised decoration for the scales and inlaid concentric circles of ivory for the eyes. The antelope has similarly carved concentric ring eyes, stained black. [JMC 5/7/2018]

Geographical reference

South Sudan

Africa > Eastern Africa > South Sudan

Cultural groups

Dinka

Person

PRM source John H.W. Penney

Date

Acquisition information

Donated: 12/01/2017

Materials and processes

Material Wood Plant, Material Elephant Tooth Ivory Animal, Material Pigment, Process Carved, Process Stained, Process Inlaid, Process Incised, Process Painted, Process Turned

Dimensions

Depth: max 28 mm, Width: max 155 mm, Length: max 972 mm

Object numbers

Accession number: 2018.108.1

Search terms: Transport and Travel, Status, Walking Stick