This text includes characters that require UTF-8 (Unicode) file encoding, mainly fractions used in illustration captions:

⅙ ⅕ ⅔ all rare
⅓ (1/3)

If any of these characters do not display properly, or if the apostrophes and quotation marks in this paragraph appear as garbage, you may have an incompatible browser or unavailable fonts. First, make sure that the browser’s “character set” or “file encoding” is set to Unicode (UTF-8). You may also need to change your browser’s default font.

The section on musical instruments includes snippets of music in MIDI format. Depending on your browser, these will either play or be downloaded. The “music” directory associated with this file includes all music samples in lilypond format, convertible to several other music-notation programs.

The proportions (½, ⅓) in figure captions are taken from the original text; actual sizes may be larger or smaller, depending on your monitor. The dimensions correspond to a monitor resolution of 100dpi.

Table of Contents
List of Illustrations
Ancient Art
Index

ANCIENT ART

OF THE

PROVINCE OF CHIRIQUI, COLOMBIA.

BY

WILLIAM H. HOLMES.

CONTENTS.

Inconsistencies between the table of contents and the body text are noted at the end of the e-text.

	Page.
Introduction	13
Geography	13
Literature	14
Peoples	15
The cemeteries	16
The graves	17
Human remains	20
Placing of relics	21
Objects of art	21
Stone	21
Pictured rocks	21
Columns	22
Images	23
Mealing stones	25
Stools	27
Celts &c.	29
Spearheads	34
Arrowpoints	34
Ornaments	34
Metal	35
Gold and copper	35
Bronze	49
Clay: Pottery	53
Preliminary	53
How found	55
Material	55
Manufacture	56
Color	57
Use	57
Forms of vessels	58
Decoration	62
Unpainted ware	66
Terra cotta group	67
Black incised group	80
Painted ware	84
Scarified group	87
Handled group	90
Tripod group	97
Maroon group	107
Red line group	109
White line group	111
Lost color group	113
Alligator group	130
Polychrome group	140
Unclassified	147
Clay: Miscellaneous objects	149
Spindle whorls	149
Needlecases	150
Figurines	151
Stools	154
Musical instruments	156
Rattles	156
Drums	157
Wind instruments	160
Life forms in vase painting	171
Résumé	186

ILLUSTRATIONS.

Links lead to the Figure itself, not its original page. Where possible, illustrations have been placed immediately before or after the paragraph that discusses them.

			Page.
Plate I.		Map of Chiriqui	13
Fig.	1.	Section of oval grave	17
	2.	Section of a quadrangular grave	18
	3.	Grave with pillars	18
	4.	Compound cist	19
	5.	Southwest face of the pictured stone	22
	6.	A goddess of the ancient Chiriquians	23
	7.	A god of the ancient Chiriquians	24
	8.	Fragmentary human figure in gray basaltic rock	25
	9.	Mealing stone with large tablet ornamented with animal heads	26
	10.	Puma shaped metate	27
	11.	Stool shaped object	28
	12.	Stool with columnar base	28
	13.	Stool with perforated base	29
	14.	Large partially polished celt	30
	15.	Celt of hexagonal section	31
	16.	Small wide bladed celt	31
	17.	Celt with heavy shaft	31
	18.	Celt or ax with constriction near the top	31
	19.	Flaked and partially polished celt	32
	20.	Well polished celt	32
	21.	Narrow pointed celt	32
	22.	Narrow pointed celt	32
	23.	Cylindrical celt with narrow point	33
	24.	Leaf shaped objects suggesting spearpoints	34
	25.	Arrowpoints	34
	26.	Human figure, formed of copper-gold alloy	41
	27.	Grotesque human figure in gold	42
	28.	Rudely shaped human figure in gold	42
	29.	Grotesque human figure in nearly pure copper	43
	30.	Grotesque human figure in nearly pure gold	43
	31.	Rudely executed image of a bird in gold	44
	32.	Image of a bird in gold	45
	33.	Puma shaped figure in gold	45
	34.	Puma shaped figure in base metal	45
	35.	Quadruped with grotesque face in base metal	46
	36.	Figure of a fish in gold	46
	37.	Large figure of a frog, in base metal plated with gold	47
	38.	Small figure of a frog, in base metal plated with gold	47
	39.	Figure of an alligator in gold	48
	40.	Animal figure, in base metal plated with gold	48
	41.	Bronze bells plated or washed with gold	50
	42.	Bronze bell with human features	50
	43.	Triple bell or rattle found on the Rio Grande	51
	44.	Ancient Mexican bell	51
	45.	Fundamental forms of vases—convex outlines	58
	46.	Fundamental forms of vases—angular outlines	59
	47.	Vases of complex outlines—exceptional forms	59
	48.	Vases of compound forms	59
	49.	Square lipped vessel	59
	50.	Variations in the forms of necks and rims	60
	51.	Arrangement of handles	60
	52.	Types of annular bases or feet	61
	53.	Forms of legs	61
	54.	Grotesque figure forming the handle of a small vase	63
	55.	Grotesque figure forming the handle of a small vase	63
	56.	Grotesque figure forming the handle of a small vase	63
	57.	Monstrous figure with serpent shaped extremities	63
	58.	Monstrous figure with serpent shaped extremities	63
	59.	Grotesque figure	64
	60.	Grotesque figure	64
	61.	Grotesque figure	64
	62.	Figure of a monkey	64
	63.	Figure of a monkey	64
	64.	Figure of a monkey	64
	65.	Animal forms exhibiting long proboscis	65
	66.	Vase illustrating ornamental use of animal figures	65
	67.	Vase illustrating ornamental use of animal figures	65
	68.	Vase illustrating ornamental use of animal figures	66
	69.	Vase illustrating ornamental use of animal figures	66
	70.	Series of bowls and cups of unpainted ware	67
	71.	Vase of graceful form	68
	72.	Vase of graceful form	68
	73.	Vase of fine form, ornamented with grotesque heads	68
	74.	Vase of fine form, ornamented with grotesque heads	69
	75.	Vase with ornament of applied nodes and fillets	69
	76.	Vase with mantle covered with incised figures	70
	77.	Vase with frieze of grotesque heads	70
	78.	Vases with flaring rims and varied ornament	71
	79.	Vases with complex outlines and varied ornament	71
	80.	Large vase with two mouths and neatly decorated necks	72
	81.	Large vase with high handles	72
	82.	Top view of high handled vase	73
	83.	Handled vase	73
	84.	Handled vase	73
	85.	Handled vase	73
	86.	Small cup with single handle, ornamented with grotesque figure	74
	87.	Small cup with single handle, ornamented with grotesque figure	74
	88.	Vase of eccentric form	74
	89.	Vessel illustrating forms of legs	75
	90.	Vessel illustrating forms of legs	75
	91.	Vessel with large legs, decorated with stellar punctures	75
	92.	Vases of varied form with plain and animal shaped legs	75
	93.	Large vase of striking shape	76
	94.	Cup with legs imitating animal forms	76
	95.	Cup with legs imitating a grotesque animal form	77
	96.	Cup with legs imitating the armadillo	77
	97.	Cup with legs imitating the armadillo	77
	98.	Cup with frog shaped legs	77
	99.	Cup with legs imitating an animal and its young	77
	100.	Cups supported by grotesque heads	77
	101.	Large cup supported by two grotesque figures	78
	102.	Cup with two animal heads attached to the sides	78
	103.	Cup with two animal heads attached to the sides	78
	104.	Vase shaped to imitate an animal form	79
	105.	Vase shaped to imitate an animal form	79
	106.	Vase shaped to imitate an animal form	79
	107.	Fish shaped vessel	79
	108.	Top view of a fish shaped vessel	80
	109.	Cup with grotesque head attached to the rim	80
	110.	Black cup with incised reptilian figures	81
	111.	Black cup with incised reptilian figures	81
	112.	Black vase with conventional incised pattern	81
	113.	Small cup with conventional incised pattern	82
	114.	Small tripod cup with upright walls	82
	115.	Vase with flaring rim and legs imitating animal heads	82
	116.	Vase modeled to represent the head of an animal	83
	117.	Pattern upon the back of the vase	83
	118.	Tripod bowl of red scarified ware	87
	119.	Tripod bowl of red scarified ware	87
	120.	Oblong basin with scarified design	88
	121.	Large scarified bowl with handles imitating animal heads	88
	122.	Jar with flat bottom and vertical bands of incised ornament	89
	123.	Vase with stand and vertical incised bands	89
	124.	Vase with handles, legs, and vertical ribs	89
	125.	Tripod with owl-like heads at insertion of legs	90
	126.	Tripod with legs rudely suggesting animal forms	90
	127.	Heavy red vase with four mouths	90
	128.	Vase with horizontally placed handles and rude designs in red	91
	129.	Unpolished vase with heavy handles and coated with soot	92
	130.	Round bodied vase with unique handles and incised ornament	92
	131.	Vase with grotesque figures attached to the handles	93
	132.	Vase with upright handles and winged lip	93
	133.	Top view of vase with winged lip	94
	134.	Vase with grotesque animal shaped handles	94
	135.	Vase with handles representing strange animals	95
	136.	Vase with handles representing grotesque figures	95
	137.	Vase with handles representing animal heads	96
	138.	Vase with arched handles embellished with life forms in high relief	96
	139.	Vase with arched handles embellished with life forms in high relief	97
	140.	Tripod vase with shallow basin and eccentric handles	99
	141.	Tripod vase with shallow basin and eccentric handles	99
	142.	Tripod vase with shallow basin and eccentric handles	99
	143.	Tripod vase of graceful shape and neat finish	100
	144.	Heavy tripod vase with widely spreading feet	100
	145.	Neatly modeled vase embellished with life forms and devices in red	101
	146.	High tripod vase with incised designs and rude figures in red	101
	147.	Handsome tripod vase with scroll ornament	102
	148.	Vase with lizard shaped legs	102
	149.	Vase with scroll ornament	103
	150.	Large vase with flaring rim and widespreading legs	103
	151.	Fragment of a tripod vase embellished with figure of an alligator	104
	152.	Vase supported by grotesque human figures	105
	153.	Round bodied vase embellished with figures of monsters	106
	154.	Cup with incurved rim and life form ornamentation	107
	155.	Cup with widely expanded rim and constricted neck	107
	156.	Small tripod cup with animal features in high relief	108
	157.	Handsome vase supported by three grotesque figures	108
	158.	Vase decorated with figures of frogs and devices in red	110
	159.	Vase of unique shape and life form ornamentation	110
	160.	Two-handled vase with life form and linear decoration	110
	161.	Small tripod vase with animal figures in white	111
	162.	Shapely vase with designs in white paint	112
	163.	Small red bottle with horizontal bands of ornament	115
	164.	Small red bottle with encircling geometric devices	115
	165.	Bottle with zone occupied by geometric devices	116
	166.	Bottle with broad zone containing geometric figures	116
	167.	Bottle with decoration of meandered lines	117
	168.	Bottle with arched panels and geometric devices	117
	169.	Bottle with arched panels and elaborate devices	118
	170.	Vase with rosette-like panels	118
	170a.	Ornament from preceding vase	118
	171.	Vase with rosette-like panels	119
	172.	Vase with rosette-like panels	119
	173.	Theoretical origin of the arched panels	120
	174.	Theoretical origin of the arched panels	120
	175.	Theoretical origin of the arched panels	120
	176.	Vase decorated with conventional figures of alligators	120
	177.	Portion of decorated zone illustrating treatment of life forms	121
	178.	Portion of decorated zone illustrating treatment of life forms	121
	179.	Vase decorated with highly conventional life forms	121
	179a.	Design from preceding vase	122
	180.	Vase decorated with highly conventional life forms	122
	181.	Vase decorated with highly conventional life forms	123
	182.	Decorated panel with devices resembling vegetal growths	124
	183.	Vase of unusual shape	124
	184.	Vase of unusual shape	124
	185.	Vase of unusual shape	124
	186.	Double vessel with high arched handle	125
	187.	Double vessel with arched handle	125
	188.	Vase embellished with life forms in color and in relief	126
	189.	Vase modeled to represent a peccary	127
	190.	Under surface of peccary vase	127
	191.	Small vessel with human figures in high relief	127
	192.	Tripod cup with figures of the alligator	128
	193.	Large shallow tripod vase with geometric decoration	129
	194.	Large bottle shaped vase with high tripod and alligator design	130
	195.	Large bottle with narrow zone containing figures of the alligator	132
	196.	Vase with decorated zone containing four arched panels	133
	197.	Vase with four round nodes upon which are painted animal devices	133
	198.	Vases of varied form and decoration	134
	199.	Alligator vase with conventional markings	135
	200.	Alligator vase with figures of the alligator painted on the sides	135
	201.	Vase with serpent ornamentation	136
	202.	Vase representing a puma with alligator figures painted on sides	137
	203.	Shallow vase with reptilian features in relief and in color	137
	204.	Vase with funnel shaped mouth	138
	205.	Top view of vase in Fig. 204	139
	206.	End view of vase in Fig. 204	139
	207.	Large vase with decorations in red and black	140
	208.	Devices of the decorated zone of vase in Fig. 207, viewed from above	141
	209.	Handsome vase with four handles and decorations in black, red, and purple	142
	210.	Painted design of vase in Fig. 209, viewed from above	143
	211.	Vase of unusual shape with decoration in black, red, and purple	144
	212.	Ornament occupying the interior surface of the basin of vase in Fig. 211	144
	213.	Large vase of fine shape and simple decorations	145
	214.	Vase with extraordinary decorative designs	146
	215.	Painted design of vase in Fig. 214, viewed from above	147
	216.	Vase of unique form and decoration	148
	217.	Painted design of vase in Fig. 216	148
	218.	Spindle whorl with annular nodes	149
	219.	Spindle whorl decorated with animal figures	149
	220.	Spindle whorl with perforations and incised ornament	149
	221.	Needlecase	150
	222.	Needlecase	150
	223.	Needlecase with painted geometric ornament	151
	224.	Needlecase with incised geometric ornament	151
	225.	Needlecase with incised geometric ornament	151
	226.	Statuette	152
	227.	Statuette	152
	228.	Statuette	152
	229.	Statuette	152
	230.	Stool of plain terra cotta	154
	281.	Stool of plain clay, with grotesque figures	155
	232.	Stool of plain terra cotta	155
	233.	Rattle	157
	234.	Section of rattle	157
	235.	Rattle, with grotesque figures	157
	236.	Drum of gray unpainted clay	158
	237.	Drum with painted ornament	159
	238.	Painted design of drum in Fig. 237	159
	239.	Double whistle	161
	240.	Section of double whistle	161
	241.	Tubular instrument with two finger holes	162
	242.	Section of whistle	162
	243.	Small animal shaped whistle	162
	244.	Small animal shaped whistle	162
	245.	Top shaped whistle	163
	246.	Section, top, and bottom views of whistle	164
	247.	Drum shaped whistle	165
	248.	Vase shaped whistle	165
	249.	Crab shaped whistle	166
	250.	Alligator shaped whistle	166
	251.	Cat shaped whistle	167
	252.	Whistle with four ocelot-like heads	168
	253.	Bird shaped whistle	169
	254.	Bird shaped whistle	169
	255.	Bird shaped whistle	170
	256.	Whistle in grotesque life form	170
	257.	Conventional figure of the alligator	173
	258.	Conventional figure of the alligator	173
	259.	Conventional figure of the alligator	174
	260.	Conventional figure of the alligator	174
	261.	Conventional figure of the alligator	174
	262.	Conventional figure of the alligator	175
	263.	Conventional figure of the alligator	175
	264.	Conventional figure of the alligator	176
	265.	Conventional figure derived from the alligator	176
	266.	Conventional figure derived from the alligator	176
	267.	Conventional figure derived from the alligator	176
	268.	Conventional figure derived from the alligator	177
	269.	Conventional figure derived from the alligator	177
	270.	Conventional figure derived from the alligator	177
	271.	Conventional figure derived from the alligator	178
	272.	Conventional figure derived from the alligator	178
	273.	Conventional figure derived from the alligator	178
	274.	Conventional figures derived from the alligator	179
	275.	Conventional figure derived from the alligator	179
	276.	Conventional figure derived from the alligator	180
	277.	Conventional figures derived from the alligator	180
	278.	Conventional figures derived from the alligator	181
	279.	Conventional figures derived from the alligator	182
	280.	Conventional figures derived from the alligator	182
	281.	Conventional figures derived from the alligator	182
	282.	Conventional figures derived from the alligator	182
	283.	Conventional figures derived from the alligator	183
	284.	Vase with decorated zone containing remarkable devices	185
	285.	Series of devices	185

The Project Gutenberg eBook of Ancient art of the province of Chiriqui, Colombia