IDNO

N.19138.ROS

Description

Six crowns, that belonged to the past King’s of Bunyoro inside the crown room, named Mwihindero, situated inside the Court House. The crowns are laid out on leopard skins, on a table? with a white screen (covering a window?) behind the table, in the background. ‘Beards’ of the colobus monkey skin can be seen hanging down from various crowns positioned on the table? The outer part of the crowns were made from the "white-fronds of palm-leaves and the fibre of the bark or a tree known as Mukondwa” (Roscoe, 1923, p. 131). Each crown is individual to the King, and decorations vary; iron, brass, copper, beads and feathers are but a few of the materials used. In the foreground, a sacred bow, quivers and arrows are visible leaning against the table? Roscoe annotates that there is also knife in this image - this is not clearly visible.

Place

E Africa; Uganda; Bunyoro; Masindi

Cultural Affliation

Banyoro (Bakitara)

Named Person

Andereya Bisereko Duhaga II (b. 1882 - d. 1924)

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 C30/87/ by the cataloguer. The envelope was kept in box marked C30/ by the cataloguer.
Previously stored on Shelf 4, in group of 4 wooden boxes numbered 180.

Publication: Image published in Roscoe, J., 1923. The Bakitara (or Banyoro): The First Part of the Report of The Mackie Ethnological Expedition to Central Africa. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press), p. 112, Plate XIV, with the caption: "Crowns worn by former kings. Sacred bow, quivers, arrows and a knife”.
Similar image published in Roscoe, J., 1922. The Soul of Central Africa: An Account of the Mackie Ethnological Expedition. (London: Cassell and Co.), p. 150, with the caption: Bunyoro: Crown worn by past kings”. [ED 3/10/2007]

Context: "Each King had his own crown, which was different from those of all his predecessors. These crowns were made by an expert who did his work in the room in the court-house where the crowns were kept. The outer part was made from the white-fronds of palm-leaves and the fibre of the bark or a tree known as Mukondwa. This bark was wrapped in moist plantain fibre and buried where it would decay. When the pulpy part had rotted, the fibre was gently combed and brushed with wooden instruments. Princesses took these cleansed fibres and gently chewed them, a few at a time, to soften and clean them. They were then rubbed with another kind of fibre, called mukomoi, until they were white, when they were either plaited into cord or twisted into fine thread and dyed different colours. The woven frame of this crown was made of this fibre and of palm-fronds, and was an open ring six inches wide, slightly narrower at the top, and lined with bark-cloth. On this frame beads and other decorations were stitched with the fibre thread, which was strong and white. The crown had a chin-strap covered with the long-hair of the colobus monkey, which looked like a beard and hung to the waist. These skins were obtained from the eastern side of the Nile where the hair was longer than on the animals in this part of the country. Round the edge of the crown of the reigning king were eighteen eyeless needles of iron, brass and copper, called the Amasoke. They were all six or seven inches long, and two, made of iron had twisted ends and were known as "the males”. The needles were taken out each time the crown was put away by the caretaker. The crown itself was called Muhundi, and the man who made it Omuhundi. Some six crowns of past kings still exist but others were lost during the struggle against the British some twenty or thirty years ago.” (Roscoe, J., 1923. The Bakitara (or Banyoro): The First Part of the Report of The Mackie Ethnological Expedition to Central Africa. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press), pp. 130 - 131.) [ED 3/10/2007]

This catalogue record has been updated with the support of the Getty Grant Program Two. [Elisabeth Deane 3/10/2007]