DECORATIVE ART OF NEW GUINEA INCISED DESIGNS by ALBERT BueLL Lewis Assistant Curator of Melanesian Ethnology 52 Plates Frontispiece in Photogravure and 2 Text-figures BERTHOLD’ LAUFER Curator of Anthropology — EDITOR AntHropoLocy Desicn Series No. 4 FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY CHICAGO 1925 LIST OF ANTHROPOLOGY DESIGN SERIES . 1. Block Prints from India for Textiles . . . . $1.00 . 2. Javanese Batik Designs from Metal Stamps. . 1.00 storm OMINGSe ASK Cs: stein Maat a erahicns aren seen ty Acs) re . 4. Decorative Art of New Guinea: Incised Designs 1.00 Prices include postage D. C. DAVIES, Director FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY CHICAGO, U.S. A. FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY. ANTHROPOLOGY, DESIGN SERIES NO. 4, PLATE |. MEN WITH SPEARS. Manam, North Coast, New Guinea. DECORATIVE ART OF NEW GUINEA INCISED DESIGNS by ALBERT BuELL Lewis Assistant Curator of Melanesian Ethnology 52 Plates Frontispiece in Photogravure and 2 Text-figures BERTHOLD LAUFER Curator of Anthropology EDITOR AnTHRopoLoGy Dersicn Series No. 4 FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY CHICAGO 1925 DECORATIVE ART OF NEW GUINEA INCISED DESIGNS The practice of decorating various objects with ornamental designs is not limited to civilized peoples. The natives of New Guinea, though having no metals of any kind (till iron was introduced a few years ago by traders), yet developed the art of wood carving to a marvelous degree; nor is this art everywhere the same, for different areas show absolutely different types of workmanship and design. Quite a number of such areas are easily distinguishable in New Guinea and the near-by islands, so distinct in character that any decorated object can easily be assigned to its proper place of origin. In these pages it is possible to give but a few examples of New Guinea art, hence the material has been limited to certain smaller incised ornamental designs which can be reproduced, largely from rubbings, very nearly the size of the origi- nals now in the collections of Field Museum. As there is unending variation in detail, only a few typical designs can be shown from each region. The series from north-coast spears gives most of the important variations, however. The ornament on the title page is from the handle of a club from the Trobriand Islands, east of New Guinea. The areas where wood carving is most highly developed in New Guinea are the central north coast, Huon Gulf, and the eastern end, known as the Massim district. While numerous designs are given from these three districts, the orna- mented objects in each case are different. This does not mean that such objects are used in only the one district, but that in the working out of applied design, its highest development has been in connection with different classes of objects in the different districts. Coconut-shell cups, for example, are extensively used throughout the coastal areas of New Guinea, and in many places are more or less decorated; but in no other region is the decoration so varied and elaborate as in Huon Gulf. It is also of interest to note that nearly all the best of this work is done on the small island of Tami, or ina single village on the mainland, Tami- nugatu, where Tami islanders have settled. The highest development of a par- ticular art is not only limited to a certain area, but to certain villages, sometimes a single village, within that area. This serves then as a center from which the surrounding region obtains its supply. Nor does specialization end here, for not all the native workmen are of equal skill, and some become especially known for their excellent workmanship. Original geniuses are not unknown, and in at least one well-authenticated case all the finest carvings of a certain type found in a large district were traced to a single individual, who originated that style of work- manship, which perished with his death. Most of the designs here reproduced appear to be purely decorative and are typical conventional designs of the region where used. The natives often, if not usually, have definite names for the commonly repeated elements of a i design, corresponding to our fret, scroll, etc., and with no more realistic meaning than we ascribe to such terms. On the other hand, certain designs, especially these representing the human figure, in whole or in part, may have a definite ceremonial or religious meaning. For example, while the geometric design on a spear, such as Fig. 6, Plate II, An incisor tooth, with a portion of the jaw of a small marsupial, appears to be purely decorative, wrapped with cord, to serve as a handle. the small figure of a human Huon Gulf, Nig: Guinea. being shown near the point ees represents the guiding force or spirit which is supposed to direct the spear to its proper destination. Such meanings are especially found in connection with ceremonial and religious objects. The designs may be roughly divided into two classes, which are also recog- nized by the natives themselves—conventionalized geometric and realistic, the latter often much conventionalized in execution. The origin of the latter is usually evident, though not always, especially on ceremonial objects. As to the former, which the natives declare is simply “to make him look pretty,” all attempts at a realistic interpretation are pure speculation. Most of the designs which follow fall in this class. At present the natives use iron very extensively, and most of the objects here illustrated were probably carved with knives or iron in some form. This does not mean that they are any better made, how- ever, than when iron was unknown, and the original stone, shell, or tooth instru- ment was used. Usually the contrary is true, as the people do not take the time at present to do careful work. The heavier and coarser work was done with stone axes, adzes, and chisels, while small stones, shell, and especially teeth were used for the finer. Illustrations of New Guinea carvings and designs may be found scattered in many publications on that region, es- pecially the following: ‘‘The Decorative Art of British New Guinea,’ by A. C. Haddon (Dublin, 1894); ‘‘Neu-Guinea,’’ by Ernst Fuhrman (Hagen, 1922, good only for illustrations); and “Der Each consists of two boar’s tusks fastened together. Kaiserin-Augusta-Fluss, ”’ by Otto Reche In one case the points have been extensively (Hamburg, 1913). ground down by sharpening. Sepik River. About Y% actual size. CARVING TOOL. CARVING TOOLS. FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY. ANTHROPOLOGY, DESIGN SERIES NO. 4, PLATE Il. SPEARS FROM THE NORTH COAST, NEW GUINEA. Spears from this region are usually ornamented with incised designs in two places on the shaft, as in Fig. 6. ‘The lower portion of the upper band of several spears i wn in Figs. 1-5. Rubbings from these spears are reproduced in the following plates: Fig. 1 in Plate V, Fig. 1; Fig. 2 in Plate VIII, Fig. 3; F in Plate XVIII; Fig. 5 in Plate XI, Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a sketch of the same spear (Fig. 5). Figs. 1-5 are three-fourths actual size; Fig. 6, one-fifteenth. az 2 FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY. ANTHROPOLOGY, DESIGN SERIES NO. 4, PLATE Ill. Frag, ge ES RL a Roa 4 g : raid! Ss au a a is ee eg FA esid & ety a ‘ yj aay ‘ f Le ste) a 3 SPEAR DESIGNS FROM THE NORTH COAST, NEW GUINEA. To better show the character of these designs the rubbing has been continued around the spear, so the design is repeated—in Fig. 1 slightiy more than three times. Slightly reduced in size. FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY ANTHROPOLOGY, DESIGN SERIES NO. 4, PLATE IV. a) Cent FT SPA P< OE TE ER Ce GOL ELL EO. ee faa OO ONO, : fp el | et oe eh EY aa ‘. ——— g My = on —= : po OT ts a ‘i = hoe = 2) | BS ee GEA zs z a Sits aT Rie Cea, Se < v ROPOLOGY, DESIGN SERIES NO. 4, PLATE XXXVII INCISED DESIGNS FROM THE MASSIM DISTRICT, EASTERN NEW GUINEA. Fig. 1 is froma large club. Fig. 2 is from a small canoe-like carving, while Fig. 3 is from a photograph of the opposite side of the same object. Three-fifths actual size. FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY. ANTHROPOLOGY, DESIGN SERIES NO. 4, PLATE XXXVIII. DESIGN ON THE UPPER PART OF A LARGE PADDLE. Massim District, Eastern New Guinea. Two-thirds actual size. FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY. ANTHROPOLOGY, DESIGN SERIES NO. 4, PLATE XXXIX. 1 DESIGNS FROM THE MASSIM DISTRICT, EASTERN NEW GUINEA. Fig. 2 is a rubbing of the opposite side of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is part of the design on a similar carving. Four-fifth actual size. 8 s 8 31S E 8 S FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY. ANTHROPOLOGY, DESIGN SERIES NO. 4, PLATE XL. 2 DESIGNS FROM THE MASSIM DISTRICT, EASTERN NEW GUINEA. Fig. 1 is the upper end of a lime spatula, while Fig. 2 is a rubbing of the opposite side. Figs. 3 and 4 are from small canoe-like carvings. Two-thirds actual size. FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY. ANTHROPOLOGY, DESIGN SERIES NO. 4, PLATE XLI. LIME SPATULAS FROM THE MASSIM DISTRICT, EASTERN NEW GUINEA. Two-thirds actual size. FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY. ANTHROPOLOGY, DESIGN SERIES NO. 4, PLATE XLII. DESIGNS FROM LIME SPATULAS AND PART OF A SMALL CLUB. Massim District, Eastern New Guinea. Four-fifths actual size. FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY. ANTHROPOLOGY, DESIGN SERIES NO. 4, PLATE XLIII. ven: ral AE DESIGNS FROM LIME SPATULAS AND OTHER SMALL OBJECTS. Fig. 7 is from Fig. 1, Plate XLI; Fig. 10 from Fig. 1, Plate XLIII; and Fig. 11 from the opposite side of Fig. 3, Plate XLIII. Fig. 6 is from the upper end of a round walking-stick, the long designs running down on each side. All from Massim District, Eastern New Guinea, except Fig. 3, which is from a bull-roarer from the Papuan Gulf. azis UL psonper ApYysyg “vauIND usJoyseg ‘JoUysIq] Wisse “SVINLVdS AWIT 40 SATGNVH A WwW “AIX BLV1d ‘by “ON S3INSS NDISSGC ‘ADOTOdOYHLNY “AYOLSIH IWHNLYN SO WNSSNW G13l4 UUM DESIGNS FROM TORTOISE-SHELL BRACELETS. Huon Gulf, New Guinea. Actual size. ISTORY. FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL H AN L iene Ba We Panes ar, rd Ss 44 re mn t jap gel ff AS ~ DB s\ N 2 \ WIS IN AY VY Z DESIGNS FROM TORTOISE-SHELL BRACELETS. HUON GULF, NEW GUINEA. MY, Actual size. FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY. ANTHROPOLOGY, DESIGN SERIES NO. 4, PLATE XLVII. DESIGNS FROM TORTOISE-SHELL BRACELETS. HUON GULF, NEW GUINEA. Fig. 3 represents a bracelet reproduced from a photograph; the design on this bracelet is shown in Fig. 1. Slightly reduced in size. FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY, ANTHROPOLOGY, DESIGN SERIES NO. 4, PLATE XLVIII. COCONUT-SHELL CUP FROM HUON GULF, NEW GUINEA. Side and bottom view. Slightly reduced in size. = > \\ ANTHROPOLOGY, DESIGN SERIES NO. 4, PLATE XLIX. Slightly reduced in size. < ui = 5) 6 = iu Zz re =] 3) oO z ° =) aE, = ie) iv re 2) a =) ©) — =I my ae o i 5) ZZ (e) is) (e) ° FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY. ANTHROPOLOGY, DESIGN SERIES NO. 4, PLATE L. FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY. COCONUT-SHELL CUP FROM HUON GULF, NEW GUINEA. Slightly reduced in size. Opposite sides. ANTHROPOLOGY, DESIGN SERIES NO. 4, PLATE LI. FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY. FELLING : cE gamee ne COCONUT-SHELL CUPS FROM HUON GULF, NEW GUINEA. Slightly reduced in size. FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY. ANTHROPOLOGY, DESIGN SERIES NO. 4, PLATE LI!. : a haa Se: COCONUT-SHELL CUPS FROM HUON GULF, NEW GUINEA. Slightly reduced in size. PRINTED BY FIELD MUSEUM PRESS