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Pitt Rivers Museum

1932.18.14

Cast brass voice disguiser, in form of human figure, with lizard skin membrane.


1932.18.14

Digital asset copyright: Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford

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Collection type
Object
Description
Cast brass voice disguiser, in form of human figure, with lizard skin membrane.
Long description
Cast brass voice disguiser, in form of human figure, with lizard skin membrane. The conical tube as body with arms and short legs; covered with straight and undulating plaited band patterns and a cowry-shaped ornament; with two rows of loops down lower part of front; the head covered with globular and cowry-shaped knobs. Buzzing membrane of lizard skin covering lower aperture. [MJD 20/09/2013]
Geographical reference
Cultural groups
Tiv
Date / Period
Date made: Before 1932
Date collected
By 1932
Acquisition information
Donated: 1932 Bequeathed: 1939, uncertain
Materials and processes
Material Brass Metal, Material Lizard Skin Reptile, Process Lost Wax Cast, Process Decorated
Dimensions
Width 53 mm, Length 229 mm
Object numbers
Accession number: 1932.18.14 Other numbers: Balfour 436 Other PRM accession number: 1938.34.436
Associated publications
Listed as number 110 on page 14 of Art from the Guinea Coast (Pitt Rivers Museum, Illustrated Catalogue No. 1), Oxford: Pitt Rivers Museum (1965): 'NIGERIA Northern Region ... 110. Cast brass ritual voice-disguiser (imborivungu) in the form of a human figure. Tiv tribe (13.5 [sic] cm.)'. Also illustrated in black and white in unnumbered plate XXXI. (For details of exhibition, see under 'Display History'.) [JC 12 9 2013] This object features in the Museum's audio tour produced in 2010 [HH 05/07/2010]

Search terms: Music, Figure, Musical Instrument, Voice Disguiser