A leaf-shaped paddle from Buka
1872 British Association address: Let us see how far they serve to support our views as to variation and continuity now that they are put together….. In fig. 7 a still greater change has taken place; the greater part of the face and head are gone. In the last figure we saw that the nose was becoming the prominent feature, here it is nearly the only feature left; the elongated ears are drawn down the sides of the nose; the lozenge-pattern on the forehead still remains; but the lines, which in the previous figures led to the head-dress and to the scroll-pattern, have been turned into a kind of leaf-shaped ornament, resembling what appears to have been the upper lobe of the ear in the previous figures; the eyes are brought down on to the nose. …
Blue book entry [circa 1874] - Patterns consisting of animal and vegetable forms conventionalized in ornamentation 512 - 24 Paddles. Human figure shewing the transition by which the original designs have been lost and gradually converted into a crescent form. New Ireland Part p80
1875 ‘Evolution of Culture’: 'Having noticed one or two allied varieties of design in specimens that came into my possession, I determined to collect all that I could find as they came to this country. In the course of several years I succeeded in obtaining the series represented upon Plate IV. … In the eighth figure [Fig 8] the ears are drawn at right angles to the nose [1884.61.37].
Written on object [?before 1884] - New Hebrides [sic]
Delivery Catalogue I entry [1884] - Paddles of the New Irelanders Paddle wood painted and carved 520 Screen 176 177
Old General Pitt Rivers Label [?before 1884] - 520 [printed]
Old General Pitt Rivers Label [before 1884] - Written on label stuck to paddle: ‘Paddle New Ireland. Ornamented with the vestiges of a human figure as in the preceeding specimen. The elongated ears are brought out horizontally. The diamond pattern of the forehead remains. The lines leading to the head dress are formed into a leaf pattern having 4 leaves instead of 3 as in the preceeding example. The nose is divided into 2 halves by a vertical line and the two sides are coloured red and black.
Written on object [after 1884] - New Ireland PR coll blue 520
Accession Book IV entry [1920s] - 1884.61.1 - 65 Design - Development and Degradation of - 1884.61.29 - 41 Series of paddles with coloured designs to show possible degradation of design New Ireland (Buka type) Similar broader blade [to 1884.61.36], plain handle, similar particoloured design [Drawing]
Additional entry - 512 - 524 [1884.61.29 - 41] Blue Solomon Islands Buka formerly labelled New Ireland Buka paddles shewing development from man to crescent in PR coll. First reference by the General is when as Lane Fox he gave an address on Anthropology to the British Association. Transactions of the Sections. In 1872 page 168 paddles of 'the New Irelanders, one of the Papuan group of islands adjoining the one in which Bishop Patteson was lately murdered'. Bishop Patteson was murdered on Nukapu in the Santa Cruz group; the Solomon Group is next and then New Ireland. Distances are considerable. [BB]
Card Catalogue Entry [1940s] - Solomon Islands Buka (formerly labelled New Ireland) 520 Blue. Paddle; broad pointed leaf blade plain handle triangular 'plumed' object on stalk particoloured carved. No 9 of series to show possible degradations of design
