Display illustrating items made by people of New Guinea

Display illustrating items made by people of New Guinea

Is anyone familiar with a display of this nature? It appears to be a display (in miniature) featuring items produced by people of New Guinea. School class project? Teaching aid? Part of an exhibit? It is very well done and must have taken a very long time to accomplish. It would be interesting to find its history. The display is in a hinged 23 in. h x 18 in w x 4 in. deep: 36-½ in. wide with the wood case open. The item was purchased a few years back at a MCC Thrift store. Any help would be appreciated. The contents are as follows:

Square 1. Jew Harps (4 in. h x ¼ in. w)
The Jews Harp as a rule is made and played only by the young men. It is made from bamboo. The women play a “harp-like” (bow) stringed instrument, which is also played using the mouth and fingers.
Gadsup people of the Eastern Highlands of P.N.G.

Square 2. The War Shield (2.5 in. w x 4.5 in. h)
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The war shield was made from the buttress roots of the Man tree, which is a light but semi-hardwood. It was about chest high and had certain clan carvings on the front. The warrior crouched behind it and held it to his body by heavily woven Rattan vine straps. It was often highly decorated with Victory leaves.

Square 3. Rope Skirt (approx. 4 in. x 3 in. – scrunched)

The notation (with the rope skirt belongs with Square 9, the sago
hammer) I cannot recall if it previously had come loose & I
inadvertently re-glued it in the wrong square or if it was that way when it came in my possession?

Square 4. Wooden Bowl (2 ¾ in. long x 1 in. h x 1 in. w)

The wooden bowl is carved of Garamut wood usually in an oval shape with tapering ends. When the carving is done, the bowl is taken to the river and rubbed against sandstone until it is smooth. The bowl is decorated with the local paints, charcoal and Breadfruit sap.

Square 5. Comb (3 in. h x 1 ½ in. w)

The comb was made by the Au men of the West Sepik Province in Papua New Guinea. The men carve the combs out of mature bamboo, with each man adding his own personal decorative touch.

Square 6. Broom (4 ¾ in. long)

The Au people take the stem which holds the seed of the Areca Palm and form this into a broom. Sometimes they take vine and wrap it around the head to form a more even broom. The women use these brooms to keep the village clear of refuse.

Square 7. Slit Gong 6 ½ in. long x 1 in. wide)

The slit gong is always made in the seclusion of the forest. It is prepared by shaping the body, then burning the insides to hollow it out. The clan markings are carved on it and then all members are called in to help drag the slit gong to the village. The sound of the gong can be heard from a distance of five miles and is aptly called the “jungle wireless”.

Square 8. String Bag (4 in. h x 2 ½ in. w)

The string bag is made from the bark of the Tulip tree. The women strip the bark, shred it and weave it into string on there thighs. The string is woven into bags with intricate patterns formed from the string they have coloured with dye from the forest.

Square 9. Sago Hammer ( 4 ¼ in. l x 2 ¾ in. w)

The head of the Sago hammer is made from bamboo and the handle from the Ton tree. The wood is split at the top and the head of bamboo is inserted. It is tightly wrapped with Rattan vine. Rattan vine is also used to hold the head in place when chipping the Sago pith.

Square 10. War Spears (3 approx. 6 in. ea.)

The war spears are made from Back Palm, with the heads sometime made of bamboo carved into spikes and set into the Black Palm handle. They are decorated with woven vine and bird feathers. They use to be a symbol of a man’s full membership into the ranks of the male adults. They also had ceremonial significance.

Square 11. Spinning Tops (2 ½ in. long x 1 ¾ in. wide)

When the Taro plants are ready for harvesting these spinning tops are carved by the young men and children. The tops are carved from Coconut shells and a small stick is inserted into the center of the top. The top is spun between the thumb and the index finger of the opposite hand.

Square 12. Smoking pipes (2 ¾ in.)

These smoking pipes were made by the Au men of the West Sepik Province of Papua New Guinea. The pipe is made from bamboo and is about six inches long. Each man adds his own personal decorative touch.

Square 13. Earrings (2-¾ in. l x ½ in. w)

Traditionally the bamboo earrings formed part of the everyday ornamentation of the Au people. The ear was first pierced, then stretched slowly to accommodate the bamboo plugs. Animal fur was inserted to highlight the beauty of the carved earrings.

Square 14. Hand Drum (3 ½ l x 1 ½ w)

This hand drum is made by the Au men of the West Sepik Province of Papua New Guinea. The drum is usually made of Garamut, Menes or Nar wood. After shaping the drum, a hole is burnt through by means of blowing on the fire through a bamboo pipe and scraping the sides with a small stone adze. The top of the drum is covered with a pig or lizard skin. Each clan carves its own special design on these drums.

Square 15. Shell Rings (5 in. l x 2 in. w - scrunched up)

These shell rings were traditionally given by the groom to the bride’s clan as a bride price. The shells came from the coast near Aitape. The Au people obtained the shells by trading food items for them. These shells were their bartering or money system and were also used to buy land, pigs or pay off social obligations

Square 16. Bow and Arrows (5 ½ in. l x 4 in. w)

The bows are made from Black Palm and the arrows from Black Palm and bamboo. Breadfruit sap mixed with charcoal and natural paints provide the decorations. Each man carves his own marks or patterns on his arrows. The bow and arrows are still used for protection and for hunting.