DOI Heft:
No. 108 (March, 1902)
DOI Artikel:Praetorius, Charles J.: Decorative art in New Guinea, [1]
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19875#0113
Decorative Art in New Guinea
brick-red colour, which gives the mouth of the In native designs carved on smooth surfaces, the
chewer a repulsive appearance, and turns the teeth lines appear to be made with one clean sharp cut
black. In the utensils used, some of the best with the shell-knife. A general method of orna-
efforts of native design are to be found. mentation seems to have been to engrave the
The spatulas, which are not unlike a paper- design, and afterwards fill in the pattern with lime ;
knife, were used to convey the powdered lime but occasionally red colour was used to give
from the gourd to the mouth. They were additional effect.
generally made of hard, dark wood ; the patterns The best examples of native work were produced
were engraved or cut in the handles and after- in the days when they had plenty of leisure and an
wards filled with lime, the white design strongly con- abundance of food. When not fighting, they devoted
trasting with the black wood. /
Birds were the most fre-
quent form of ornament for
the handles of spatulas, which
in many cases were split, and
could be used as clappers.
The gourds to contain the
powdered lime were decorated
with designs burnt on the
surface ; the design was
executed with the stem of a
palm-leaf with a glowing point,
which burnt the surface as in
poker work. Large masses ot
black were produced by closely
scratching a number of lines,
which had the appearance of
deeply-bitten etched lines.
In some districts the design
was first scratched on to the
bamboo or gourd, and after-
wards the burning stem was
applied; but in many cases
the designs seem to be
drawn direct.
Human faces and masks
are drawn in a very curious
way on many of these deco- /S^t/mS
rated lime gourds. There are
no attempts at realistic draw-
ing, heads and masks are
always in a grotesque style.
The stoppers for the lime |/mhq^||j|j
gourds are examples of neatly fes^Y
plaited and coloured palm-leaf.
The old and toothless men,
who could no longer chew the
betel nut, used a mortar in
which the nut was pounded
into a paste. Mortars are less
common than spatulas, and
are generally decorated with
similar ornament, i.e., frigate-
birds' heads. instruments for stirring sago
brick-red colour, which gives the mouth of the In native designs carved on smooth surfaces, the
chewer a repulsive appearance, and turns the teeth lines appear to be made with one clean sharp cut
black. In the utensils used, some of the best with the shell-knife. A general method of orna-
efforts of native design are to be found. mentation seems to have been to engrave the
The spatulas, which are not unlike a paper- design, and afterwards fill in the pattern with lime ;
knife, were used to convey the powdered lime but occasionally red colour was used to give
from the gourd to the mouth. They were additional effect.
generally made of hard, dark wood ; the patterns The best examples of native work were produced
were engraved or cut in the handles and after- in the days when they had plenty of leisure and an
wards filled with lime, the white design strongly con- abundance of food. When not fighting, they devoted
trasting with the black wood. /
Birds were the most fre-
quent form of ornament for
the handles of spatulas, which
in many cases were split, and
could be used as clappers.
The gourds to contain the
powdered lime were decorated
with designs burnt on the
surface ; the design was
executed with the stem of a
palm-leaf with a glowing point,
which burnt the surface as in
poker work. Large masses ot
black were produced by closely
scratching a number of lines,
which had the appearance of
deeply-bitten etched lines.
In some districts the design
was first scratched on to the
bamboo or gourd, and after-
wards the burning stem was
applied; but in many cases
the designs seem to be
drawn direct.
Human faces and masks
are drawn in a very curious
way on many of these deco- /S^t/mS
rated lime gourds. There are
no attempts at realistic draw-
ing, heads and masks are
always in a grotesque style.
The stoppers for the lime |/mhq^||j|j
gourds are examples of neatly fes^Y
plaited and coloured palm-leaf.
The old and toothless men,
who could no longer chew the
betel nut, used a mortar in
which the nut was pounded
into a paste. Mortars are less
common than spatulas, and
are generally decorated with
similar ornament, i.e., frigate-
birds' heads. instruments for stirring sago