The multi-ethnic market town of Kutum situated on the way to the blacksmith village of Toumra in Northern Darfur. Kutum is known for the many date palms (Fur: “senda”) seen in the wadi between the huts in the foreground and the hills.
Kutum, Northern Darfur.
Photo: Randi Haaland, 1978
An elderly woman has prepared the body (Fur: “kiri”) of three pots (Fur: “ala”). On the picture she is preparing clay mixed with sorghum residue used as temper to make the neck (Fur: “kwei”) of the pots.
Toumra village, Northern Darfur.
Photo: Randi Haaland, 1978
An elderly woman of the blacksmith/potter caste (Fur: “mir”) has prepared the body (Fur:” kiri”) of three pots in the foreground. She is now crushing fine-grained clay on a grindstone (Fur: “dida”) to be smeared on the interior wall of the pot.
Toumra village, Northern Darfur.
Photo: Randi Haaland, 1978
Two men of the “mir” caste are strengthening the furnace structure by ropes made of tree fibers. Note the holes for inserting tuyeres (Fur: “borongot”) at the base of the furnace.
Toumra, Northern Darfur.
Photo: Randi Haaland, 1978
Two men of the blacksmith/potter caste (Fur: “mir”) are preparing the furnace for the iron smelting process. Fur farmers generally use the same word “nonum” for furnace and granary. Both granary and furnace are metaphorically linked to two different aspects of womanhood; one with woman as mother (granary – it is the mother who is responsible for cultivating grain to feed her children), and the other with woman as sex partner (furnace – smelting activities are explicitly associated with sexual intercourse). The blacksmiths, however, use a special word for the furnace, namely “bood”, probably because it is a specialized term among these stigmatized craftsmen. Note the ferricrete sandstone in the foreground.
Toumra, Northern Darfur.
Photo: Randi Haaland, 1978
Men of the blacksmith/potter caste (Fur: “mir”) are making tuyeres of clay to be attached to the bellows (Fur: “swi”) used for blowing air into the furnace during smelting of iron (Fur: “daura”). While ordinary pottery making is performed by women of the “mir” caste, the making of clay tuyeres is undertaken by men.
Toumra, Northern Darfur.
Photo: Randi Haaland, 1978
Men of the “mir” caste are making the clay tuyeres (Fur: “borongot”) required for blowing air into the furnace during smelting. The making of tuyeres can easily be associated with sexual intercourse and during the work the “mir” entertain themselves with a rich repertoire of songs with rather explicit sexual metaphors.
Toumra, Northern Darfur.
Photo: Randi Haaland, 1978
Men of the “mir” caste are inserting tuyeres (Fur: “borongot”) at the base of an iron furnace. Note the painted decoration on the body of the furnace.
Toumra, Northern Darfur.
Photo: Randi Haaland, 1973
The smelting of iron is carried out by men of the “mir” caste who are specialized in that craft (women of the “mir” caste are specialized in pottery making). In this photo a man is making charcoal (Fur: “minina”) to be used in the smelting process.
Toumra village, Northern Darfur.
Photo: Gunnar Haaland, 1973
A blacksmith crushing ferricrete sandstone for iron smelting at the mining area of Jebel Tayu about one day’s camel ride west of Toumra.
Jebel Tayu, Northern Darfur.
Photo: Gunnar Haaland, 1973
Preparing ferricrete sandstone for firing in the furnace located behind the blacksmith.
Toumra village, Northern Darfur.
Photo: Randi Haaland, 1978
Men of the “mir” caste are filling up the furnace with sorghum stalks to be used for igniting firewood (Fur: “ar”) and charcoal (Fur: “minina”) that is filled in later.
Toumra village, Northern Darfur.
Photo: Randi Haaland, 1978
An elderly woman accompanied by four girls and a boy outside her compound in the village of Toumra.
Toumra, Northern Darfur.
Photo: Randi Haaland, 1978
