The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1872-06-13
Barbaric Ornaments.

Savages are passionately fond ot
ornaments. In some OF the very low.
est races, indeed, the women are al.
most undecorated but that is only
because the men keep all the orna-
ments themselves. AS a general rule
we may say that Southerners orna-
ment themselves; Northerners their
clothes. In fact, all savage races who
leave much of their skin uncove. .ed,
delight in painting themselves in the
most brilliant coiors they can obtain.
Black, white, red, and yellow, are the
monest colors. Although perfectly
naked, the Australians of Botany Bay
were by no means without ornaments.
They painted themselves with red
ochre, white. clay, and charcoal; the
red was laid on in broad patches, the
white generally in stripes, or on the
face in spots, often with circle round
each eye; through the septum of the
nose they wore bone, as thick as a
mans finger and five or six inches
long. This was, of course, veIy awk-
ward, as it prevented them from
breathing freely through the nose, but
they submitted cheerfully to the in
convenience for the sake of appear
ance.laI -a8itsi sra gEsatHaa j.. 81
b They had also necklaces made of
shellsy neatly cut and strung together,
EARRINGS, bracelets of small cord and
strings of plated human hair. which
they wound round their waists Some
also had gorgets of large shells tang-
ing fl om9ths neck across the breast.
,OnaH these things they placed high
value. The savage ALSO wears neck
ilaces and rings, bracelets and anklets,
armlets and leglets-even, if [ may
say so, bodylets.7Y Round their bodies,
round their necks, round their arms
and legs, their fingers, and even their
toes, they wear ornaments of all kinds.
From eirnnmbers and weight these
must sometimes be very inconvenient.
Lichtenstein saw the wife.of"a Beltuan
chief wearing NO less than 72 brass
rings Nor'are they particular. to
the material, copper, brass, or iron,
leather or{ivory, stones, Shells, glass,
bits of wood, seeds, or teeth--nothing
comes amiss.1 In Southeast Island,
one of the Louisiade Archipelago,
McGillivray even saw several brace
lets made each of a lower human jaw
crossed by collar bone, and other
travellers have seen brass curtain
rings, the brass plates for keyholes,
the lids of sardine cases, and other
such ineongruons objects, worn with
much gravity and pride. ii.Us foi
The Felatah ladies in Central Africa
spend several hours in a day over
their toilet. In fact they begin over
night by carefully wrapping their fin
gers and toes in henna leaves, so that
by morning they!are a beautiful pur-
pie. The teeth are stained alternately
blue, yellow. and purple, one here
and there being lett of its natural
color as a contrast. About the eyes
they are particular. They pencil
themselves with sulphuret of anti
mony. The hair is colored carefully
with indigo. Studs and other jewelry
are worn in great profusion. Not
with hanging things round
their necks, arms and ankles, and in
fact wherever nature has enabled
tb I'm to do so, the sayages also cut
holes in themselves for the purpose.
The Esquimaux, from Mackenzie river
westward, make two openings in their
one on each side, which they
enlarge. aud in which they
wear an ornament of stone resembling
in form large stud, and which may
therefore be called cheek stud.
Throughout great part of western
America and again in Africa, we also
find the custom of wearing a piece of
wood through the central part of the
lower lip. A small hole is made in
the lip during infancy and it is then
extended by degrees until it is some
times as much as two inches long.
Some races extend the lobe of the ear
until it reaches the shoulder; others
file the teeth in various manners. DIR.
j. G. Davis has a Dyak skull in which
the six. front teeth have each been
carefully pierced with small hole,
into whicha pin with spherical
brass head had been driven. In this
way, the upper lip being raised, the
knob on each tooth would be
Some of the African tribes
also chip their teeth in various man.
ners, each community having a. FASH
ion of its own.--iSir John LW6bock's
" Origin Of Ciriltsation."