New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-05-23
CHARACTERISTIC RESTING POSTCRES.
DIFFERENT ATTITUDES ASSUMED BY DIFFER
ENT PEOPLES.

DIFFERENT ATTITUDES ASSUMED ny DIFFER
ENT PEOPLES.
Dr. Regnault. in The Revue Encycloptliqu".
For Us Europeans the attitude OF reposc - sitting
or lying down, and We are apt to believe mat theI1
rest with crossed legs Ike our aors. others kneel
and stlll others crouch down 50 far as We know No
work has been written this subject. Ncvcrthe-
less 1t is important TO understand these different
attitudes. and to see under what influences th'F
vary We may thus avoid the error Of representing
savages seated or lying down ike Europeans an
error that committed at an antMopoloEc cN-
hibitIon at Prague where plaster models OF Hot
tentots and Zuus were shown seated in posture.
that real IIottentots never assume photographs 81
these imnossihle croups were sent to numerous an
down. while Their women kneel The rouchinE
posture. faEuing for us, Is so natural - hch W.
they can sleep in that position. Tho low-case Hin
dus sleep thus and I'm the TrocaierO Museum an
ancient terra-cotta figure shows crouching Peru
Wan Win closed ewes and head inclined \ certain
degree OF civilization brings the position WIN Iess
and higher civilization causes the chair to be
adopted But first the st'er does not place MN
self squarey with both legs hanging; ne raises "He
Thus the classic attitude Of tho negro is the
crouching one and that Of the negress the kneeing.
mothers. but rarely crouch Exceptionally. negroes
can be seen sitting cross-legged. But the fetch
white crouches. though in divers fashions.
In different places Guinea. Congo. sources OF ne
centimeres (seven 10 eleven inches high. cut from
q piece OF wood and OF variable form according TO
stick supported by single massive central foot or
by three and four feet NJ other times Ton thr
Congo IL is a square whose Sides raised at rleht
and left. upborne by four cylindrical legs. In
the upper Nilc regions 0Dlnkas and NouerHl 20"
seats have four fcc' those ~ the lake regions have
three: others l,wcr. have only two large ones on
the sides The seats ~ chiefs are higher and nav"
supports carved represent human figures. lIui 10
certain localities. in more direct contact with Eu-
r0peans. the chiefs SIT chairs. generally OF Euro
pean make. The Poiynoslans have a very different
posture ~ rcposc They DO not crouch but slt WIN
crossed legs The same custom exists IN all the
Poyncsian Islands. Hawaii. New-Zc ZEALAND etc.
Let examine tho white races ~ Eurnp"
and America. who sit when they rest. Tho cross
legged attitude exists longer except among tall
only when 1t 10 desired 20 PICK up or gather some
thing. Even when tho white man finds rn seat h"
sits on the ground With legs oufs'rctrhrl ur nalf
bent. Is shown very frequently 10 photographs ~
Russian RInauian peasants We should note,
however. among the women great faclItl IN Knee
Ing at work ns when they washing linen.
The Sc.nitcs have q custom opposed % ours they
make M Use Of chairs. In MussulInan cYunfr's ~"
most customary position ls ihat calel Turkish.
with CROSSED legs Ike Our tttlor@. Sometime 80
wall the legs half bent. In an attitude which f.
not crouching. but which apr laches D. IN Turk,
and Persia the favor4tc position Is mat " knc iut
In tho Persian salons the invited guests who know
the corrcc, thing place Themselves on their kn"rs
against the wall The tailor altitude. which both
men ana women assume. 10 regarded as unriyll
Chairs littlc used even among the ri %. when
they employed one leg Is placed on fhc sent.
Turkish fashion, while the other hangs down. 0f.
yet again. with hand they hold one foot. as i4
Egypt the fcllahs retain the four pJs.urcs ~ their
ancestors the kucong. the sitting tie cro9e lcgsel
and the sitting upon the ground with legs joined.
All four date from the eighteenth dynasty.