"unusual, important"

Grass Roots Art of New Guinea "unusual, important"

Dr. E. F. Hannemann is one of the true pioneer missionaries of New Guinea. He arrived in Madang for the Lutheran Mis sion 46 years ago. As well as being a distinguished teacher and

anthropologist (he majored in

anthropology at the University of Chicago) he is probably New Guinea’s leading expert on native

designs.

For many years he collected, by means of rubbings and sketches, the intricate, arabesque-like delineations that decorate so many of New Guinea’s indigenous artifacts.

But Dr. Hannemann is much more than a mere collector of designs and art forms used by the people of New Guinea; he knows their mean ings and so is able to interpret them.

The result of long years of labour in this unusual field has now ap peared in a fascinating book, Grass Roots Art of New Guinea, just published by Pacific Publications, Sydney, for 51.35.

From it, for instance, one learns that those sharp-pointed lines, herring-bone patterns and triangles are not only decorative embellish ments —they are actually, through the eyes of the man who drew them, a choppy sea, and fish swimming in it with a crocodile on the surface.

Dr. Hannemann’s studies are mostly confined to the Madang district, where he lived so long, but they also extend to the Finschhafen, Sepik and Highlands areas.

The book is a series of clear, line illustrations, with accompanying written explanations of the meaning of the designs. For myself, for years an ardent collector of spears, masks, clubs and all the objects that com prise the artifacts of the country— I had only half finished Grass Roots Art in New Guinea when I found myself interpreting the meaning of the designs on my trophies.

Grass Roots Art is as deeply in teresting as it is unusual, and it is a most important contribution to the general history of New Guinea. As a territory resident I feel we are fortunate that so happy a collabora tion between author and publisher has occurred. I hope the book will be widely read, and in particular that it be accepted as a text-book for

use in P-NG.

J. K. McCarthy.