Makushi water carrier - Specimen details

Makushi water carrier - Specimen details

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Catalogue Number: 99601

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Plant Name 101.01 SAPOTACEAE Manilkara sp. Entry Book Number 1.2017
Artefact Name Makushi water carrier Vernacular Name
Iso Country Guyana TDWG Region Guyana
Parts Held Makushi water carrier Geography Description Rewa village, in north Rupunini
Uses Makushi water carrierUse: MATERIALS - Latex/Rubber User: Man TDWG use MATERIALS - Latex/Rubber
Storage Bottles, boxes etc Related Items
Donor Harris, Holly Donor No
Donor Date 02/02/2017 Donor Notes Object acquired during a research trip to Rewa village during March-April 1998
Collector Edwards, Nathanial; Edwards, Sylvia Collector No
Collection Notes Collection Date 00/03/1998
Exhibition Expedition
Number Components Publication
Notes: From Holly Harris 2/2/2017: The object was acquired during a research trip to Rewa village, in the north Rupunini, Guyana, during March-April 1998. My hosts, Nathanial and Sylvia Edwards had offered to show me how basic domestic vessels were traditionall, y made out of a substance from the 'balata tree'. Mr Edwards gathered the latex/substance from a tree he called 'balata tree' some distance from the village in the forest. According to him, not many of these trees remain in the forest, and where they do, , they are far from the village. His wife demonstrated to me the process of making this into a small water vessel used primarily when travelling through the forest on hunting/fishing or farming expeditions. She moulded the substance between her hands an, d rolled and shaped it on a hard surface adding dashes of water to soften the substance and keep it pliable, much as one would roll and shape clay or plasticine into an object. Once shaped into the vessel it was left to harden within a few hours. The Ma, kushi still make these kitchen items from balata despite availability of plastic kitchenware. x0Dx0ANote on identification: Manilkara bidentata was local to the area (Rupununi, Guyana).

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