IDNO

P.9272.ACH1

Description

On Catalogue Card: “Witoto woman with leg ligature”.

On Catalogue Card for duplicate image LS.26748.WHI: "N.W. Amazon. 175.65.
Woman (Witoto) wearing tight ligatures on leg, which cause the calves to swell.”

A full-length portrait of a Witoto woman wearing a wrist-ornament and leg and ankle ligatures. Her feet and hair have been retouched in the negative to create detail. The woman is standing facing the camera in front of a white background. [TC 09/06/1999, updated JD 01/10/2019]

Place

S America; Colombia; North West Amazon

Cultural Affliation

South American Indian; Witotoan; Witoto [Huitoto; Uitoto; Ouitoto; Fitita; Guitoto; Hitote; Huitata; Huito; Huitato; Huitota; Komiuvedu; Komiovedu; Murui-Muinane]

Named Person

Photographer

Whiffen, Thomas William

Collector / Expedition

Date

1908 - 1909

Collection Name

Mounted Haddon CollectionWhiffen Collection

Source

Format

Print Black & White

Primary Documentation

Other Information

Related Image: A duplicate print is at the RAI, reference 36149, and annotated by Whiffen in pencil on the reverse as "Witoto - note ligatures."
Photocopies of Whiffen prints at the RAI are in the UCMAA archive, reference W19/1/3. See Whiffen Collection record for further details on RAI collection. [TC 09/06/1999], updated JD 22/10/2019]

Biographical Reference: Although Whiffen’s book is primarily ethnographic, he also uses the methods of physical anthropology. He mentions physical appearance when discussing the differences between tribes and language groups (Whiffen, T. W., 1915: 57-58). In Appendix 1, (ibid: 269-279) His discussion of "physical characteristics", is illustrated with photographs. Appendix II postulates the "Mongoloid origin" of Amazonian peoples (ibid: 280-281), while Appendix IV is a series of "colour analyses and measurements" charts of physical statistics (ibid: 283-290). [TC 01/06/1999]