[?]G Artifacts?

Dust-Up Over

[?] G Native Art

What Does The Future Hold For [?]G Artifacts?

By a Special Writer

Two visiting collectors of tive art had something of a ling out in New Guinea re ady, and as a result officialdom s been taking a more than ial interest in the export of

ifacts from the Territory.

’ is possible there might be an alteration to the regulations controlling art exports, rhe recent argument was between ) collectors from America —both whom were on a buying tour of i Territory, collecting objects for ale overseas, lowever, when the time came for material to be exported, one lector got a permit for the ects to leave the country (and y left), and the other didn’t, ’he collector who missed out was lly annoyed. He flew back to Iney and indignantly took the tter up with Canberra, le wanted to know, probably urally enough, why fish was de of one, and fowl of the other, 'he irate collector was given a ipathetic hearing, and the tter was eventually adjusted— h collectors ending up with their objects.

Sidelights

ut some interesting sidelights ie out during the barney. One ector accused the other of ing too much money to the iyes for their work, and thus ling the trade for those coming later. nd the other alleged that it i also possible to take advantage the natives by paying them too e—and that the other collector i doing it. ; was also brought out that rt from these regular visits by rseas collectors, there was a ;ain amount of trafficking in facts by private NG people, who de money as a sideline, here are regulations in the ritory which enable the Admini ition to keep any art objects it its in the country by forcing exporter to sell it to the nmistration. u^i. a PP these are not tight much into use and some rseas collectors have privately ressed scorn at the arrangement auss, as one said recently, “Who New Guinea knows the difference

between good art and junk? Who in Australia knows the difference?”

Two Opinions

In the Territory itself, there seems to be two schools of thougnt as to what should be allowed out of the country. One school says that every effort should be made to keep genuine art objects in the country, before the time arrives when there will be nothing worth while left.

The other says that the Terri tory is not equipped to preserve the material even if it were collected, and that it might as well go to overseas’ museums, where it can be appreciated, as rot at home.

These are things to be said for both these arguments. But there are two facts that appear to be inescapable.

They are that Australian museums are getting precious little of any thing worthwhile from P-NG and that many art collectors, who are in fact middlemen, are making money from NG art that perhaps could be made by the Australian Government.

FOOTNOTE: A late report says a P-NG Co-Operative’s officer, Mr.

C. V. Single, has been appointed purchasing officer for the Territory museum. He will tour the Territory looking for suitable antiques so that they will not be lost to P-NG.