TG CB 01 African Cattle Herding Bells, Attributed Dinka or Nuer Culture, South Sudan, Forged Steel Livestock Bells (Pair)

This pair of forged iron cattle bells is attributed to pastoral communities of the Upper Nile region, most plausibly the Dinka or Nuer peoples of present-day South Sudan. Such bells were attached to cattle using fibre or leather cords and served both practical and social functions within pastoralist herding systems. The sound of the bell allowed animals to be located within open grazing landscapes and also helped identify individual animals within large herds, an important aspect of cattle-based economies and cultural identity in the region.

Each bell is hand-forged from sheet steel and formed into a tapered quadrangular body with an internal iron clapper. The construction method—hammered sheet metal joined and shaped by forge work—reflects traditional blacksmithing techniques widely practiced across East African pastoral regions. The surfaces show consistent oxidation, handling wear, and deformation associated with long-term utilitarian use. Objects of this type are increasingly collected as examples of pastoral material culture and African blacksmithing traditions.

Circa: Mid–20th century or earlier