[Bow making, Andaman Islands.] It is planed with the pig's tusk 'pilichada', until it is perfectly smooth, but is seldom waxed. Photographer: Portman, Maurice Vidal
Scope & Content:
Genre: Ethnographical Photography Caption continues: 'These bows attain a high polish, and are kept quite plain, having no ornamental carving on them. Twine is then bound round the bow about five inches from the upper end which tapers to a long fine point, and about one inch from the lower end ...
[Bow making, Andaman Islands. Stringing the bow.] Photographer: Portman, Maurice Vidal
Scope & Content:
Genre: Ethnographical Photography A dark print. Caption reads in part: 'The 'Chokio' differs, I beleive, from every other bow in the world in the peculiarity of its stringing. When once a new bow string is put on, it is not taken off again until it is either too slack for work, or breaks. It is...
[Bow making, Andaman Islands. Stringing the bow.] Photographer: Portman, Maurice Vidal
Scope & Content:
Genre: Ethnographical Photography Caption reads in full: 'The bow is now considered to be unstrung, and in order to string it, the attitude in the picture is assumed, and with the right hand the string is pulled on to the inside of the bow thus reversing the curve of it.'
[Bow making, Andaman Islands. Unstringing the bow.] Photographer: Portman, Maurice Vidal
Scope & Content:
Genre: Ethnographical Photography Caption reads in full: 'To unstring the bow, the process of stringing is reversed and the string is now pulled over to the back of the bow, the tension of the curve on this side being less than that on the other, owing to the peculiar straightness of the lower ...
This photograph shows the 'Chokio' [North Andaman bows] when strung. The peculiar S curve similar to that of the South Andaman bow should be noticed. Photographer: Portman, Maurice Vidal
Scope & Content:
Genre: Ethnographical Photography Caption continues: 'Also, the upper end of the bow can always be detected, because that end is always of a longer and more tapering form than the lower end.'
Portman Collection: Andamanese Islanders, Vol. IV. Photographer(s): Portman, Maurice Vidal
Scope & Content:
Maroon half-leather bound volume measuring 405 x 340 mm, containing 35 platinum prints mounted one to a page with letterpress captions of varying lengths pasted beneath each image. The thick card pages of the album are somewhat bowed.