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. … Fig. 10 represents a further change in this direction; the lozenge-pattern and the ears are now gone, and the leaf-pattern is much reduced; the nose also has almost disappeared into the chin. …
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 tenth figure [Fig 10] lozenge pattern and the ears have disappeared, and a vestige of them only remains in the form of five points; the base of the nose is still further expanded into a half moon [1884.61.39].
Old General Pitt Rivers Label [before 1884] - Printed label stuck to paddle: ‘Paddle New Ireland. The figure with which it is ornamented represents the vestiges of a nose with the basse expanded and turned so as to conform to the line of the chin as in the preceeding example. Above which is a triangular figure with 5 divergent points which is no doubt a further reduction of the leaf ornament of the preceeding figure. The elongated ears are deficient in this specimen.
Pre-PRM label [before 1884] - PADDLE. NEW IRELAND. The figure with which it is ornamented probably represents the chin of a human face modified. Above which a triangular figure with five divergent points, probably represents the leaf pattern of some of the preceeding [sic] examples, or it may be a human hand, as seen in one of the preceeding [sic] figures. [DCF Court Team 28/1/2004]
Delivery Catalogue I entry [1884] -Paddles of the New Irelanders Paddle wood painted and carved 522 Screen 176 177
Written on object [after 1884] - New Ireland PR coll 522 Blue
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 narrow blade [to 1884.61.38], with plain handle, coloured, carved, bi-lobed 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) 522 Blue. Paddle; narrow blade plain handle coloured carved bi-lobed design. No 11 of series to show possible degradations of design
