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Title
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Raroro
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Author
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Alfred P. Maurice
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Date
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1944/1945
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Type
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Image; StillImage
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Description
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WWII-Natives/New Guinea.
Ink drawing of a native (upper torso, shoulders, and head). Labeled, "Raroro."
Maurice explained this native posed for him who worked on a plantation. The British had a number of coconut, and banana plantations; they would put a tax on some of the coastal natives and require the tax payment in money. They would take them from their village and move them work on a plantation, where they would stay there until they made enough money to pay the tax. The tags this native is wearing is a plantation identification tag. The earrings were newspapers or comic strips tucked in extended ear lobes.
Maurice describes this drawing in his letter dated 1944-11-26_27 saying, "In the sketch of Raroro (that was the name given on his dog tag) that roll he was protruding from his left ear lobe is a roll of paper just for [scratched out word] ornament. The lobe and the complete edge of his right ear are pierced by small colored rings. They completely circle the ear. Just above that, sticking out of his hair is the end of a native comb. I haven’t shown it very well. They are made of split bamboo and are smoothing like this: [sketch of comb] when I first saw one I thought it was a fish hook. These natives put anything colorful on their hair. Raroro [scratched out word] had no decoration in his hair but had the top dyed red."
Maurice.1714
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Rights
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In Copyright: 2017 -- Hamersly Library knows this item to be in copyright, which is held by Alfred P. Maurice. No permission is required from the rights-holder for educational uses.
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http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/
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Identifier
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986
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Spatial Coverage
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Lae (Papua New Guinea)
