This work is the first English translation of a German introductory text published by the well-known publisher Folkwang Verlag in Hagen in 1922. The book is based on photographs of art collections in the major museums of Europe and includes a special section on the ornamental designs of New Guinea. Sculpture and "body art", before the term was reinvented, are documented in detail. Art forms such as masks, furniture and house structures are also included. The introduction places this art in its everyday context and discusses beliefs related to the use of artifacts. Much of what is shown here has so far only been preserved in the museum collections on which the book was based.