24 



PRIMITIVE ART 



These complex designs, taken as a whole, often have special 

 names, for example : a diamond-shaped figure with forked append- 

 ages, as shown in the adjoining illustration (Case 25a), is sometimes 



spoken of as the "turtle" design, or 

 "turtle" pattern. So far as the 

 makers of these designs are concerned, 

 the name "turtle" is simply the pat- 

 tern-name, and in no wise a represen- 

 tation of the animal specified. Thus 

 we have a series of decorati\-e designs 

 in which the motive is not the repre- 

 sentation of objects or ideas, but 

 merely an appeal to the esthetic sense. 

 However, these design elements may 

 be combined into wholes which do 

 represent definite objects or ideas, and so become symbolic de- 

 signs ; but the use of designs to represent any particular idea 

 does not conform to any rule, it depends rather upon the fancy of 

 the maker. A good example of 

 this type of design is illustrated 

 below (Case 25a). It represents a 

 decoration seen by the maker in a 

 dream. It is thus a picture of the 

 d earn design. But there are cer- 

 tain geometrical forms which are 

 symbolic, and are looked upon as 

 sacred. One of the most com- 

 mon of these designs is that of a 

 spider-web, which may be seen 

 on the pouch shown on p. 25 

 (Case 25c). This design is looked 

 upon as too sacred to be used for 

 mere decorative purposes. 



There is another type of de- 

 sign midway between the sacred 

 symbolic one and the merely 

 decorative one, such as the design of the turtle upon the dresses 

 of women. This is simply a U-shaped figure placed on the breast 



