IDNO

P.50957.RDG

Description

A studio portrait of a group of Berber men, two sitting holding instruments and one standing.
The standing man in the middle of the group is holding a snake, with it’s head in his left hand and it’s tail in his left. (The snake has blurred due to movement). He is wearing an ikerzi (a turban made from cloth which is wound about the head leaving the crown of the head exposed) made from patterned cloth, a large dark coloured tunic with a large gap for the head over all of his other clothes, obscuring them. It has slipped down over his left hand shoulder, revealing his clothes below which are made from horizontally striped material.
The man kneeling on the floor on the left hand side is holding a benkir (a drum made from animal skin stretched over a frame), and is wearing a shash (brimless hat). He is wearing a pale tunic with elbow-length sleeves over short, pale trousers.
The man sitting on the right hand side is holding a wooden wind instrument to his lips with both hands. He is wearing a pale coloured djellaba with his hood pulled over his turban, which is also pale. The collar of his clothing underneath can be seen, with a button attached. He is possibly wearing a kaftan, but not enough can be seen of it to make that certain. He is wearing rings on his little and third fingers on his left hand. On the floor to his right there is dark bag tied around the neck with twine.
The floor is covered with dried grasses and reeds and the background is a painted studio backdrop.

Place

N Africa; Morocco; Tangier

Cultural Affliation

Named Person

Photographer

Cavilla, Antonio

Collector / Expedition

Ridgeway, William

Date

circa 1880

Collection Name

Ridgeway Collection

Source

Format

Print Black & White

Primary Documentation

Other Information

The print was found in an envelope now marked C239/ which was inside the wooden drawer I.

This catalogue record has been updated with the support of the Getty Grant Program Two. [Jocelyne Dudding 2/7/2007]