38 PRIMITIVE ART 



gourd, the flowers, the vines and serpents are all considered as 

 symbols of rain or of the vegetation produced by rain. 



In this respect the interpretation of the geometrical designs 

 given by the Huichol resembles very much that given by the 

 Pueblo Indians of the arid Southwest. Some of the favorite 

 motives of their decorative art are interpreted in the same man- 

 ner, terraced triangles with lines descending from them being 

 always interpreted as rain-clouds and falling rain ; while zigzag 

 lines represent lightning. 



SUMMARY. 



The description of these collections shows that in manv 

 remote parts of the world primiti\-e people interpret the orna- 

 mental designs which they use for decorating objects of every- 

 day use as representations of realistic ideas. Investigations 

 among other peoples, from whom the Museum has no collections, 

 show that the same tendency may be found all over the world. 

 In some cases it has been found possible to bring together a 

 series of decorative motives which show at one end an almost 

 realistic representation of a certain object, while at the other end 

 of the series may be seen a purely conventional form. From this 

 observation the conclusion has been drawn, that, on the whole, 

 geometrical ornaments originated from realistic forms by gradual 

 transformation . 



On the other hand, we have seen that in many cases the same 

 form was transferred from one tribe to another by borrowing, 

 as, for instance, among the Indians of the Plains; and that dif- 

 ferent interpretations were given to the same forms by different 

 tribes. This seems to indicate that the interpretation may also 

 be adapted to the design, or, as we may say, that, according to 

 the favorite concepts of the people, an idea has been "read 

 into " the design 



