Accession No
ROS 1920.308 Z.16
Description
Prow section of a canoe made from wood with a nose of hide, possibly antelope, at one end. The prow has a long straight section with a flat base and curved top, which curves upwards to a thinner section. The nose is sewn with leather thread, reinforced with an iron bar, and attached with wooden pins to the peak of the prow. There is a small iron spike close to the nose section. The flat base of the prow section would attach to the flat top of the bow section ROS 1920.308 Z.1.
Place
Africa; East Africa; Uganda
Period
Source
Roscoe, John (Reverend) [field collector and donor]
Department
Anth
Reference Numbers
ROS 1920.308 Z.16
Cultural Affliation
?Baganda
Material
Wood; Hide (untanned); Metal; Iron
Local Term
Measurements
230mm x 865mm x 2425mm Weight 8.5kg
Events
Context (Found together / assemblage)
1920.308 Z.1-16/Roscoe are all parts of the same canoe. In addition 1920.308 A-X/Roscoe are the accompanying paddles for the canoe and 1920.308 Y.1-3/Roscoe and the ornaments which would have been attached to the canoe.
Event Date
Author: Eleanor Wilkinson
Context (Found together / assemblage)
Catalogue card for ROS 1920.308 reads: 'Canoe, in 8 sections, made of planks. The canoe has a rounded bottom, but no keel. The planks are sewn together with wicker and the seams are caulked with bark. There are seats for the men to sit on. These project through the sides and form knobs. These act as collision mats. The canoe has a curved beak projecting for several yards in front, to keep the boat off reefs (and also to act as a ram)?). The end of the beak is covered with leather. The seat near the bow projects through each side to form two long spikes.
The (24) paddles (these have been labelled A-X) are spear-shaped, and there is a tuft of crimson feathers to put on the bow. Baganda. Two detachable antelope horns are included for sticking into the bow.'
Event Date 1920
Author: Kirsty Kernohan
Description (Physical description)
Beak section of canoe made of planks. The canoe has a curved beak projecting for several yards in front, to keep the boat off reefs (and also to act as a ram?). The end of the beak is covered with leather.
Event Date 17/8/2018
Author: Eleanor Wilkinson
Context (Amendments / updates)
The Roscoe Collection catalogued in 1920 was given numbers 1920.1 - 1920.480. These are not Accession Register numbers, and conflict with numbers allocated to other artefacts accessioned in 1920. They do not appear under any other number in any Accession Register and the only documentation for them is their catalogue cards. In 2001 they were given the temporary suffix ‘/Roscoe’ to distinguish them. This has now been replaced with the prefix ‘ROS’.
Event Date 22/11/2023
Author: Lucie Carreau
Description (Physical description)
Prow section of a canoe made from wood with a nose of hide, possibly antelope, at one end. The prow has a long straight section with a flat base and curved top, which curves upwards to a thinner section. The nose is sewn with leather thread, reinforced with an iron bar, and attached with wooden pins to the peak of the prow. There is a small iron spike close to the nose section. The flat base of the prow section would attach to the flat top of the bow section ROS 1920.308 Z.1.
Event Date 16/2/2024
Author: Kirsty Kernohan
FM:280989
Images (Click to view full size):