

FHEEUYVEAN. ART 
A HELP FOR STUDENTS OF DESIGN 
By CHARLES W MEAD 
Assistant Curator, Department of Anthropology 
INTRODUCTION 
The Museum’s collections of textiles and pottery vessels from pre- 
historic graves in Peru provide an opportunity for the study of primitive 
art that is not excelled, if, indeed, it is equaled in any other field. The 
great beauty of the color schemes and the wonderful number of curious 
conventionalized animal figures, especially in the textiles, make these 
exhibits particularly valuable to the student of design. That this 
opportunity exists and that the Museum authorities as a part of their 
educational system are providing all the assistance and comfort possible 
to visiting artists and students are fast becoming known, as shown by 
the fact that for quite a number of years an average of one hundred and 
fifty a month have availed themselves of this privilege, while during the 
last two years that number has been doubled. 
As a large part of the students of design who make use of these 
textiles expect later to obtain positions in textile houses, carpet, rug, or 
wall paper manufactories, or to enter into some other business where 
designers are employed, it will interest and encourage them to know that 
many textile houses have lately put upon the market silks and other 
materials decorated with designs inspired by the figures and color 
schemes of the prehistoric Peruvians. Our large textile manufacturers 
have, year after year, sent their best artists to Paris for designs, having 
no idea that such a wealth of material, eminently suitable for decora- 
tion, was waiting for them in the Museum so near at hand. 
During the past year a number of these textile manufacturers have 
visited the Museum and have become aware of the existence of these col- 
lections. Having once seen them they were by no means slow in 
recognizing their value and in sending their artists to copy the color 
schemes and create designs from the decorative figures of the ancient 
Peruvians. Having satisfied themselves of the commercial value of the 
Peruvian collections to them, they naturally began to look about for the 
decorative work of other primitive peoples and to-day their designers 
may be seen at work in many of the Museum halls. 
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