Minutes of Proceedings. 211 



■anytHng that deserves the name. But human nature is everywhere 

 and at all times fundamentally the same ; and even in very low stages 

 of social progress the aesthetic craving shows itself. The savage is 

 rarely satisfied with mere utility in the articles he uses ; he aims at 

 heauty according to his ideas of it. It is true that, in general, he does 

 not represent objects in a purely disinterested way, nor does he 

 idealise ; his art is for the most part limited to the ornamentation of 

 his arms and implements, and to some extent of the human person. 

 The character of these early efforts will be conditioned by various 

 circumstances. It will be dependent on the development of crafts, 

 and the consequent multiplicity and variety, as well as the nature, of 

 the tools at the artist's command, and also on the materials on which 

 he operates ; and when he uses colour, on his resources in pigments. 

 Again, his art will be affected by religion, by the sacred figures, 

 emblems, or instruments to be wrought or adorned. And the designs 

 introduced will depend on the whole environment of the worker, on 

 the character of the region in which he lives, and especially its fauna 

 and flora. But it must not be assumed that everything which is 

 familiar to the artist will be delineated. In some districts of New 

 Ouinea where animals abound they are scarcely ever represented: 

 whilst in others a large number of forms are depicted. A ground for 

 this diversity has been sought in the institutions of the several regions, 

 particularly in the presence or absence of Totemism ; but whilst these 

 probably have some effect, there are doubtless deep-seated reasons ia 

 the psychological features of the different races which are too subtle 

 to be traced. It is observed by Mr. Iladdon that the abundance and 

 richness of art is conditioned also by the material prosperity of the tribe. 

 " A poor, miserable people has a poor, miserable art." A certain 

 freedom from the cares of life is necessary for aesthetic culture. "Where 

 it flourishes in New Guinea, food is abundant, and men are well 

 nourished ; consequently vitality and energy abound. But even when 

 material conditions are favourable, the spiritual faculty may be 

 deficient. This is true of advanced races, and it is no less true of 

 those which have lagged behind in the march of evolution. 



In the study of the entire subject we are confronted by a special 

 difficulty. It is often impossible from the vague indications m 

 museums to ascertain accurately where a given object has been made ; 

 though the place where it was bought may be known, it may have 



