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29th May 2011, 07:59 AM
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#6 | |
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Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 608
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Quote:
 Okay. So I guess there was something of a clue to be found on the very website from which I found the picture. Got it.  Anyway, thanks for posting it... In speaking with someone form the curatorial staff there today, an ancestral homage or function was mentioned of the overall face design, but I wondered if there is a specific reason/function/purpose behind the use of three (tiki?) skulls that are used to represent the eyes and the mouth. From the description accompanying the Pitt Rivers Museum photo, it sounds as if these may have served as an ancestral representation as well. Barry - thank you for the pics and the input... considering that tattoos served a similar purpose, this seems feasible, no? Fearn, are you here in San Diego? If so, that would make three forumites here (the other being Dimasalang). Anyway, IMO it's definitely worth the $10 door price to see the exhibit. Gav - thank you for the book recommendation. Somewhat pricey I see, but definitely one worth picking up at some point. I kind of have to wonder if there even is a definitive answer however... George Wharton James was a famous ethnographer who studied Native American cultures in the early 20th century. And even though his book on Indian basketry contains an index labeling the patterns and designs of California basketry, he was the first to posit that in order to know what a given design represented, you would have to ask the weaver. 
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