1919.29.28

Collection type

Object

Description

Drinking cup made from gourd with coiled basketry neck, hide collar and bracing thongs with a suspension loop; repaired locally [RTS 18/1/2005].

Long description

Drinking cup consisting of a rounded rim made from brown hide strips (Pantone 728C) plaited in a herringbone pattern, on an upright cylindrical basketry neck made from a coiled core bound round with narrow plant fibre strips. At its base, this has been sewn over a narrow rectangular strip of hide onto the top of a gourd body. The stitching has been done with narrow strips of plant fibre in a zigzag pattern across the top of the hide piece, which has been perforated, along with gourd edge below. Neck, hide collar and stitching are all of similar pale yellow colour, discoloured in parts (Pantone 7508C). The gourd has been cut flat across the top, and consists of a globular body and convex base with an irregular burr at its centre; this has a warm orange surface (Pantone 723C). The gourd has cracked down one side, and been mended locally by boring pairs of holes across the join and sewing them together with yellow plant fibre (Pantone 7508C). However many of these stitches have been lost on the outer surface. The gourd body has been covered with an openwork frame or harness made up of hide strips, that may have been intended to strengthen and protect the thin walls. At the top is a narrow plaited band, one end of which extends upwards to form a horizontal suspension handle that is then looped back over the main band at its other end. This handle has been knotted part way along its length. Below this band, a series of narrow hide strips have been stretched to cover the rest of the body. These occur in groups of from 2 to 4 strips, which are tied over the plaited band at the top in 4 places, some distance apart, with their bodies running down the vessel walls as a series of hanging loops. An additional hide strip was then doubled over and secured onto the plaited band, before running down the body and being used to gather the hanging loops together at their bases in a twisted ring, with their loose ends being tucked underneath to secure them. This ring is uneven, and does not allow the vessel to stand upright. The strips are a dark brown colour (Pantone 438C). The cup has a weight of 51.8 grams, and is complete. It stands 105 mm high, with a rim diameter of 68 mm, a neck diameter of 58.5 mm and a maximum body diameter of 79.5 mm; the handle is 79.5 mm long and 3 mm wide and the hide strips that make up the outer body covering are 2.5 mm wide [RTS 20/1/2005].

Geographical reference

Sudan, Republic of

Africa > Northern Africa > Sudan, Republic of

Person

Field collector Harry Hamilton Jackson

PRM source Harry Hamilton Jackson

Date / Period

Date made: Before 1919

Date collected

By 1919

Acquisition information

Donated: 1919

Materials and processes

Material Gourd Plant, Material Animal Hide Skin, Material Plant Fibre, Process Covered, Process Perforated, Process Stitched, Process Basketry, Process Plaited, Process Coiled, Process Repaired (local)

Dimensions

Diameter 68 mm rim, Length 79.5 mm handle, Height 105 mm, Diameter: max 79.5 mm body, Weight 51.8 g

Object numbers

Accession number: 1919.29.28

Research and responses

No cultural attribution was given for this object; one possibility might be Shilluk, as they produced a variety of similar lidded vessels with basketry necks and gourd bodies - see R. Sieber, 1980, African Furniture and Household Objects, pp 170, 240-241. These have basketry lids that fit inside the mouth of the vessel [RTS 17/8/2005].

Search terms: Vessel, Food and Drink, Basketry, Cup, Food Accessory