Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-14


meal en- the dancers. the other Just
filling her hand from the tray she holds
In the center of the case are three fgures.
the snake priests One stands with one
foot raised. in a trance. and holding
snake in his mouth. Behind him. and
with hand extended to guide him, Is an
other figure keeping step. In the otner
hand he holds ticker, with which ne
keeps attracting the attention OF the
snake, and thus prevents him from biting
the man in whose mouth he is being held.
To the side is another figure that OF a
man Just reaching down to grab snake
which Is attempting to get away. IL IS
this last figure of which Mr.. Dunbar
speaks as being such "a difficult pose as
TO necessitate taking a photograph
During the past several months MI.
Dunbar has modelled fifteen figures. ten
of which We're of Indians. Where MI.
Dunbar used a live model he followed
the facial expressions assumed by the
Indian In the other instances, however
he has. for example, taken an illustra-
ton containing ten more Samoan
women. From this he has chosen the de-
sired attitude and from two or three
the nressions, which he molds into one
composite whole. Mr.. Dunbar will short
ly begin modelling another Samoan wom-
an sitting cross-legeed making "kavi.'
native drink, obtained by squeezing the
juice from native fruit. me group
will show the woman sitting before
bowl holding the fruit.
All the figures have to be passed upon
by DR.. Holmes. as it is he who designs
tie groups. and from his study OF the
various races of man chooses the at'i-
tudes and occupations which are most
characteristic of the people ana pace "
Il e represented.
The model after it leaves Mr.. Dun
bars hands then travels across the hail
and is treated by Mr.. Palmer. First a
thin coating of BLUSH plaster is APPLIED
over which Is poured the regular plaster
of paris. On account of the TIM the
plaster is prevented from covering the
figure as a who g but is in several parts,
which. when the plaster has hardened,
can be removed without dancer either TO
them or to the east. After this opera
ton. unless another cast is desired, the
model is no longer necessary. Ine
cast thoroughly hardened is first washed
off to rid it of the reddish color obtained
from the clay
Then ensues the careful process of put
ting the figure together again, this time
one with a shapeless exterior, but with
every line clearly marked on the inside
in an exact reproduction of the original
model. The finished figure is obtained
by making a plaster model of the hollow
from the clay model made by Mr.. Dun
bar. To do this another frame or arma-
ture has to be constructed. AS RUE
this is only built as far up as the waist
line. as above that point the finished fig
ure is hollow.
Before the final figure is made. thin
coating of plaster is applied to the IN
side of the hollow cast, and on top OF
this a piece of burlap, for the purpose
Of giving a body to the hollow portion OF
the figure. After this has been put III,
the D .aster is then poured IN and allowed
to set But now there remains another
difficult piece of work to perform ms
i the removal of the outer coating OF
master. or what was the hollow cast
This has to be Clipped away with great
care, in order not to mar the inside ns-
ure. ,
AS an aid in thus protecting the figure
the first coating of blush plaster IS ap-