Studio: international art (88.1924)

THE ART OF THE TROBRIAND ISLANDERS

is further evidence of the Asiatic trend in
their work. Personally, I am strongly of
the opinion that the art of these Papuans
derived its origin from Asia, filtering
down through the Malay Peninsula and
adjacent archipelagoes; this observation
is, however, purely theoretical, and, as such,
must be taken with reserve. These natives
are enthusiastic workers; they do not work
under the spur of necessity, but on the
impulse of talent. In the careful manner
of their working, the discrimination in
material, their inexhaustible patience and
loving care in giving the final touches, they
revealed all the traits of the true artist
absorbed in the achievement of a master-
piece, a trait which was still further
accentuated by the caressing manner in
which they would handle their work when
showing it to me, intently observing my
expression as I inspected the results of
their painstaking labour. 000
The most remarkable achievement of
these expert craftsmen is that they never
make out any preliminary drawing ; with
true artistic instinct they mentally visualise
the completed piece, working out their
proportions with skilful accuracy as the
work progresses. Particularly is this evi-
dent upon the patterned borders of their
bowls, where a running pattern of even
spacing is frequently used, and rarely, if
ever, is there a feeling of overlapping where
the pattern joins the point of its inception.
When to obtain a correct circle we people
resort to mathematical instruments, these
dexterous craftsmen will cut a nearly true
circle without the assistance of mechanical
devices. There is a rhythm and movement
in the flowing lines of their ornament
which relieves any tendency to heaviness
that might easily accrue ; this is especially
evident in some of their carvings of the
human figure and of pigs. Note their
innate sense of design in the introduction
of decoration on the forelegs of the pig
(Fig. 6) to balance the scroll-work on the
tail. Of the numerous specimens of their
work which I have examined, whether it be
the elaborate carvings upon the front of a
food-house, the prows of canoes or less
important pieces, the design was invariably
well-balanced and expressive, and always
with the clever craftsman's instinct of the
limitations of the material in which they

(4) UPPER HALF OF EBONY STICK, SHOW-
ING ARRANGEMENT OF SNAKE

(5) CRICKET BALL IN MANGROVE WOOD
(MODERN)

(Bather more than half actual sizes)
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