IDNO

N.18901.ROS

Description

A group of Bahima? people seated in the corner of an enclosure made from elephant grass? To the right a Bahima? man? is dressing an animal skin attached to the enclosure fence.

Place

E Africa; Uganda; Ankole; Kashenyi

Cultural Affliation

?Bahima

Named Person

Photographer

?Roscoe, John R.

Collector / Expedition

Roscoe, John R. [Mackie Ethnological Expedition, Uganda, 1919 - 1920]

Date

1919 - 1920

Collection Name

Roscoe Collection

Source

Format

Film Negative Black & White

Primary Documentation

Other Information

This negative was kept in an envelope marked C29/60/ by the cataloguer. The envelope was kept in box marked C29/ by the cataloguer.
Previously stored on Shelf 4, in group of 4 wooden boxes numbered 180.

Context: "The national dress of the Bahima is, as we should expect, made from the hides of cattle. These hides are dressed first by stretching them out in the sun; numbers of wooden pegs, 6 inches or 8 inches long, are used, and the skin drawn out in every direction and pegged into the earth, leaving a clear space underneath it for the air to pass. When the skin is thoroughly dried it is rubbed on the smooth side with butter and worked; this is continued until the skin is perfectly soft and can be folded up like a bit of linen.” [Source: Roscoe, J., 1907. "The Bahima: a Cow Tribe of Enkole,” The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol. 37, pp. 93 - 118.] [ED 13/9/2007]

This catalogue record has been updated with the support of the Getty Grant Program Two. [Elisabeth Deane 12/9/2007]