DOI Heft:
No.127 (October, 1903)
DOI Artikel:Praetorius, Charles J.: Art in British New Guinea
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19880#0074
Art in British New Guinea
Guinea of leaves, which are found on drums ; they Among their best productions are carved bowls
are, however, but poor specimens when compared and dishes, all of which are cut from a solid log of
with some of the excellent conventional designs to wood; on the rims were carved many varieties of
be found in the same district. band ornament. From these people we also have
Although birds were constantly employed as a basis the excellent examples of lime spoons and betel-
for designs, animals were seldom used for the same nut mortars.
purpose; nor are they found drawn in groups. Some- A remarkable double dancing shield was made
times they were carved on drums in pairs, in which by these natives. It consists of two flat circular
case they had a meaning as totems or clan marks. discs, both sides being entirely covered with an
t. The most skilful carvers of the British Protec- elaborate coil design of bird ornament. Connect-
torate were the natives of the Trobriand Islands; ing the two discs is a short handle, by which the
they were more friendly and less blood-thirsty than shield would be held; it was whirled and brandished
those of other parts of New Guinea. when dancing, and was for ceremonial use only.
The involved designs found on these dancing
shields are, perhaps, the finest examples of carved
^^^Fi^^^^MtM^r~ir~^ work to be seen on any wooden object made by a
savage people. In the work of the Trobriand
it -Islanders there is an absence of the angular feeling
vW - ;to be seen in other examples from the south-
^f|>>. .". -_^\Mi(©) ^^^^a^a*^^ eastern portion of British New Guinea. Equally
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^pV**,*;!>^' fine with these dancing shields are the carved
^^SmSP^Sp^^^^5^: 7 ° - " canoe ornaments, some of which are here illus-
Poor specimens are occasionally met with from
these parts. They are generally of modern manu-
facture, made for barter with the traveller and
Wwf§^ Although the natives of British New Guinea
Jra—^?iilt^ were familiar with many animal and plant forms,
/SjT(5^gj|l|| few were introduced into their designs and
|;u(|^|ggnT patterns ; this may have been due to certain
^ ^^^^Hj^^pjH(((!^ ^ ^^B^^^ religious restrictions. The existen^of totemism
^S3 fSfip^^^fJ^^^^^^^k Part °f their backs, and sometimes on the shoulders.
SCvIfIff ^^^jfjalff^lfl ^6n a'S° ^laVe sonle distinguishing totem mark,
^^^lfIlllJ^i^f^^lHplfflw«»H such as a dugong or snake. One may therefore
^^PfjlH^^^nrlnffBBBy expect to find these totems constantly occurring in
^lil^MM^ff the decoration of their personal belongings ; on the
-'VjffliiSBBMHy other hand, it does not follow that all the animals
Turtles, snakes, and croco-
diles being importantarticles
of food, many carved charms
and emblems of them exist,
in some cases skilfully
worked in the round. Some
of these were used as
mascots or charms to en-
coco N|_IT ARML-E.T l V _.•
iff sure success when hunting
PAPUAN CARVINGS DRAWN BY C. PR^TORIUS and fishing.
57
Guinea of leaves, which are found on drums ; they Among their best productions are carved bowls
are, however, but poor specimens when compared and dishes, all of which are cut from a solid log of
with some of the excellent conventional designs to wood; on the rims were carved many varieties of
be found in the same district. band ornament. From these people we also have
Although birds were constantly employed as a basis the excellent examples of lime spoons and betel-
for designs, animals were seldom used for the same nut mortars.
purpose; nor are they found drawn in groups. Some- A remarkable double dancing shield was made
times they were carved on drums in pairs, in which by these natives. It consists of two flat circular
case they had a meaning as totems or clan marks. discs, both sides being entirely covered with an
t. The most skilful carvers of the British Protec- elaborate coil design of bird ornament. Connect-
torate were the natives of the Trobriand Islands; ing the two discs is a short handle, by which the
they were more friendly and less blood-thirsty than shield would be held; it was whirled and brandished
those of other parts of New Guinea. when dancing, and was for ceremonial use only.
The involved designs found on these dancing
shields are, perhaps, the finest examples of carved
^^^Fi^^^^MtM^r~ir~^ work to be seen on any wooden object made by a
savage people. In the work of the Trobriand
it -Islanders there is an absence of the angular feeling
vW - ;to be seen in other examples from the south-
^f|>>. .". -_^\Mi(©) ^^^^a^a*^^ eastern portion of British New Guinea. Equally
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^pV**,*;!>^' fine with these dancing shields are the carved
^^SmSP^Sp^^^^5^: 7 ° - " canoe ornaments, some of which are here illus-
Poor specimens are occasionally met with from
these parts. They are generally of modern manu-
facture, made for barter with the traveller and
Wwf§^ Although the natives of British New Guinea
Jra—^?iilt^ were familiar with many animal and plant forms,
/SjT(5^gj|l|| few were introduced into their designs and
|;u(|^|ggnT patterns ; this may have been due to certain
^ ^^^^Hj^^pjH(((!^ ^ ^^B^^^ religious restrictions. The existen^of totemism
^S3 fSfip^^^fJ^^^^^^^k Part °f their backs, and sometimes on the shoulders.
SCvIfIff ^^^jfjalff^lfl ^6n a'S° ^laVe sonle distinguishing totem mark,
^^^lfIlllJ^i^f^^lHplfflw«»H such as a dugong or snake. One may therefore
^^PfjlH^^^nrlnffBBBy expect to find these totems constantly occurring in
^lil^MM^ff the decoration of their personal belongings ; on the
-'VjffliiSBBMHy other hand, it does not follow that all the animals
Turtles, snakes, and croco-
diles being importantarticles
of food, many carved charms
and emblems of them exist,
in some cases skilfully
worked in the round. Some
of these were used as
mascots or charms to en-
coco N|_IT ARML-E.T l V _.•
iff sure success when hunting
PAPUAN CARVINGS DRAWN BY C. PR^TORIUS and fishing.
57