Water container

Timpo

Note: The following text is taken from a 19th-century collection catalog and, in its language and perspective, partially reflects colonial thought patterns. We present the text in its original version to make the collection's history transparent and promote a critical examination of the colonial legacy. Certain terms and formulations may be perceived as problematic today. A 2009 research project concluded that most descriptions are factually correct and still usable; only a few details were found to be inaccurate or incorrect. The results of this project were published in the following collection catalog: https://khm-wmw-tm-library.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1457155265

"347-348. Water container - "Timpo".
Two peculiar water containers made of bamboo, the first over one meter long and over 10 cm in diameter, the second about half as large. On one end on the side there is small opening, closed with a wooden peg, or plug, by which water can be filled into the container which is closed on all sides naturally. To make this clearer let it be said that the bamboo stem is completely hollow and in the thickness such as the present object has, it is comprised of joints of about a half-meter length which are divided from each other on the inside by separating walls. For the preparation of such a water container, two or three joints of the stem are cut off so that the internal separation walls form the top and the bottom of the container. The remaining separation walls inside the container are broken through by a flexible stick which is inserted through the opening at the top. These containers are not only in use on Celebes, but also in the entire East Indian Archipelago. The women take these in the evening to the village wells to get water, whereby the full container is carried over the shoulder. As many containers are filled in the evenings as will be needed for the whole day in the house. As with us, one can see women and girls gathered with their water containers at the village well after sundown, just as their European sisters do, telling all sorts of stories and secrets, and where then after shorter or longer stays in groups, they shoulder their containers and return to their homes."

Translation of: Czurda, F. A. J. (1883). Catalog mit Erklärungen der Etnografischen Privatsammlung des Dr. F. A. J. Czurda in Postelberg (Böhmen). (p. 70-71). Wien, Wilhelm Braumüller