It would afford me great pleasure if this book leads to new students entering upon this important and intensely interesting field of inquiry, and I shall always be pleased to correspond with those who are or who desire to be fellow-workers.

ALFRED C. HADDON.

CONTENTS.

PAGE
Introduction[1]
The Decorative Art of British New Guinea: as an Example of the Method of Study[11]
I.Torres Straits and Daudai[13]
II.The Fly River[26]
III.The Papuan Gulf[29]
IV.The Central District[42]
V.The Massim District[47]
VI.Relation of the Decorative Art to the Ethnology of British New Guinea[59]
VII.Note on the Scroll Designs of British New Guinea[67]
The Material of Which Patterns Are Made[74]
I.The Decorative Transformation and Transference of Artificial Objects (Skeuomorphs)[75]
1.Transformation of a Solitary Object[76]
2.Transference of Fastenings[84]
3.Skeuomorphs of Textiles[89]
4.Skeuomorphic Pottery[97]
5.Stone Skeuomorphs of Wooden Buildings[114]
6.Skeuomorphic Inappropriateness[116]
II.The Decorative Transformation of Natural Objects[118]
1.Physicomorphs[118]
2.Biomorphs; [A]. Representation of Abstract Ideas of Life; [B]. Phyllomorphs: The Lotus and its Wanderings; [C]. Zoomorphs; [D]. Anthropomorphs; [E]. Biomorphic Pottery[126]
3.Heteromorphs[192]
The Reasons for Which Objects Are Decorated[200]
I.Art[200]
II.Information[203]
III.Wealth[222]
IV.Magic and Religion[235]
1.Sympathetic Magic[235]
2.Totemism[250]
3.Religion[267]
4.Religious Symbolism; [A]. The Meaning and Distribution of the Fylfot; [B]. The Psychology of Symbolism[275]
The Scientific Method of Studying Decorative Art[306]
I.Application of Biological Deductions to Designs[308]
II.The Geographical Distribution of Animals and of Designs[319]
III.General Remarks on the Method of Study[331]
Index[357]

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.