IDNO

N.19433.ROS

Description

In the foreground, there are seven men posing to have their picture taken; four men standing in a line (all four wear kanzus (white tunics); two covered by European-style jackets) with three men seated in front, in an enclosure made of elephant grass. The Bahima? man in the centre, at the front, wears a kanzu , a black waistcoat, a black European-style jacket and a pith helmet, sunglasses? and black shoes. He also appears to wear two rings. To one side of him is a man wearing a long dark robe and a European-style jacket. To the other side of him is a man wearing a kanzu, a European-style jacket and a white fez. In the background, a group of Bahima? people are seated in the corner of the enclosure, to the left. To the right, a Bahima? man? is standing next to an animal skin (ready for dressing?) attached to the enclosure fence.

Physical Condition: Film is a yellow/brown colour.

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 C31/58/ by the cataloguer. The envelope was kept in box marked C31/ 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]