With reference to life forms it has already been pointed out that the painted figures generally imitate or typify animal forms, and it is important to note that these figures are in very many cases used as auxiliaries to plastic features in the development of particular conceptions. This is shown to advantage in Fig. 188, which illustrates a small, well formed bottle, having two large human-like heads attached to opposite sides of the body. There are no other plastic features, but the heads are supplied with arms and legs, rudely expressed in black lines, which are really the interspaces of the lines drawn in the lost color. These painted parts occupy the zone usually devoted to decoration and, as will be seen by reference to the cut, resemble closely the radiate or meandered figures seen in vases of the class shown in Fig. 167. The arms are joined to the lower part of the head and extend upward to the neck of the vessel, where they terminate in rudely suggested fingers. Rising to the right and left of the arms are legs terminating as do the arms. A double row of dots is carried along each member, and thus we have a suggestion of the relation of the dots and dotted lines, seen in more highly conventional forms, to the markings of the creature represented or symbolized. The grotesque faces are covered with lines which follow the forms as if imitating markings upon the skin. Another example, equally suggestive, also employing an animal form, is shown in Fig. 189. It is a cup, mounted upon three feet, which has attached to one side the head of a peccary, modeled with more than usual skill. The ears of the animal appear at the sides of the vessel and the tail is opposite the head. The lines and dots seen upon the head are carried along the sides of the vessel as far as the ears and undoubtedly represent the markings of the animal’s skin. Behind the ears the markings are different in character and purely geometric. A view of the under side of the vessel is shown in Fig. 190 and illustrates a treatment characteristic of the tripod vases of this class. In other cases, instead of fixing the head of the animal upon one side and other members of the body upon other sides, two heads, or two complete creatures, are placed opposite each other.
Fig. 189. Vase modeled to represent a peccary—½.
Fig. 190. Under surface of vase shown in Fig. 189.
Fig. 191. Small vessel with human figures in high relief and geometric color decoration—½.
I present next (Fig. 191) a piece in which there is no recognizable relationship between the painted and the plastic features. It is a small tripod cup with upright walls, upon which two characteristic Chiriquian human figures, male and female, are fixed. The painted figures upon the sides of the vessel are geometric, but refer possibly to some character or attribute of the modeled figures or are the survivals of figures belonging to vessels of this shape or style before the life forms were associated with them. The legs, however, so far as can be determined, are not related to the human motive, as they are modeled and painted to imitate the heads of alligators.
I shall now present a few shallow bowls or pans mounted upon tripods. They vary in dimensions from a few inches in diameter to a foot or more and are strongly made, symmetrically formed, and neatly finished. The polished surfaces are mainly red. The designs were executed in the usual way in the lost color, upon a black ground, and are confined chiefly to the exterior surface. The alligator is the favorite motive, and in a number of cases is quite graphically, although still conventionally, rendered. As in the preceding examples, the animal heads represented in the legs do not always correspond to the creatures embodied in the painted decoration.
In Fig. 192 we have a representative example of moderate size and ordinary finish. The decorated band is divided into panels, three of which are long and contain figures of the alligator. The other three are short and are filled with conventional devices, related perhaps to that animal. The legs are apparently intended to resemble the heads of alligators. A large piece, nearly twelve inches in diameter, is very similar in shape and decoration, but the legs resemble puma heads.
Fig. 192. Tripod cup, with figures of the alligator—½.
The specimen shown in Fig. 193 is extremely well made and differs decidedly from the preceding. The sides are upright and the lip is recurved and thick. The legs represent some animal form with thick body, eyes at the top, and a tail-like appendage below that turns up and connects with the side of the body. The form of the bowl is symmetrical and the surface carefully finished and polished. The exterior design is divided into panels, as in the preceding case; the figures are simple and geometric. The inside of the upright portion of the wall is decorated with vertical lines and bands and the bottom is covered with an octopus-like figure, now partially obliterated.
Fig. 193. Large shallow tripod vase, with geometric decoration—½.
The remarkable example shown in Fig. 194 illustrates a number of the points suggested in the preceding pages. It is a large bottle of the usual contour and color, mounted upon three high legs, which are slit on the inner surface and contain movable balls of clay. Two handles, placed at opposite sides of the neck, represent human or anthropomorphic figures. These figures and the neck and base of the vessel were finished in the red slip. The broad zone extending from the neck to some distance below the periphery was finished in the gray slip, with the exception of the frames of two panels beneath the handles and the foundation lines of two large figures of alligators, which are in red. The surface, when thus treated, was well polished and then a coat of black was laid upon it, and upon this details of the designs were drawn in the lost color. The figures of the alligators exhibit some striking peculiarities. The hooked snout, the hanging jaw, the row of dotted notches extending along the back, and especially the general curve of the body are worthy of attention. These features are seen to better advantage in the series of vases presented in the following section.
Fig. 194. Large bottle shaped vase, with high tripod and alligator designs—½.
Belonging to this group are many whistles, needlecases, and rattles, all of which are described under separate headings upon subsequent pages.
The alligator group.—
The group of ware to which I give the above name is perhaps the most interesting in the collection, although numerically inferior to some of those already presented. Its decoration is of a very striking character and may serve to throw much light upon the origin and evolution of certain linear devices, as it illustrates with more than usual clearness the processes of modification.
I will first present a representative series of the vessels, in order that they may in a measure tell their own story; yet it is not possible without the direct aid of a full series of the objects themselves to convey a clear and comprehensive notion of the metamorphoses through which the forms and decorations pass.
This group, like that last described, is composed chiefly of bottle shaped vases with globular bodies and short, wide necks; but there is no danger of confusion. By placing a series from each group side by side a number of marked differences may be noted. In the lost color group the neck is decided in form, the body is usually somewhat flattened above and is distinctly conical below, and the prevailing color is a rich dark red. In the alligator group the body is more nearly globular and the curves of the whole outline are more gentle; the prevailing color is a light yellowish gray. The reds and the blacks, which are used chiefly in the figures, are confined to rather limited areas.
Besides the bottle shaped vases, there is a limited series of the usual forms, and a few pieces exhibit unique features. The management of life forms is especially instructive. Handles are rare and legs are usually not of especial interest, as they are plain cones or at most but rude imitations of the legs of animals. Shallow vessels are invariably mounted upon tripods and a few of the deeper forms are so equipped. Usually the sizes are rather small; but we occasionally observe a bottle having the capacity of a gallon or more. The materials do not differ greatly from those employed in other groups of ware. The paste is fine grained and light in color, sometimes reddish near the surface, and where quite thick is darker within the mass. A slip of light yellowish hue was in most cases applied to the entire surface. A red ochery pigment was in some instances used in finishing the lip and the base of the body, and occasionally the red pigment was applied as a base, a kind of sketch foundation for the decoration proper. For example, when the alligator was to appear upon the side of the vessel, the principal forms were traced in broad lines of the red color, and these were polished down with the slips. When the polishing process was complete, the details of the figure, were drawn in black and in cases partially in red. Black was the chief delineating color, the red having been confined to broad areas, to outlines, and to the enframing of panels. In execution, therefore, there is a decided contrast with the preceding group, and it may be added that there is an equally strong contrast in both treatment and subject matter of the ornament. The motives are derived almost wholly from life forms and retain for the most part features that suggest their origin. The subjects are chiefly reptilian, the alligator appearing in a majority of cases, and hence the name of the group.
I present first a few examples of plain bottles which have no extraneous plastic features. The decorations are arranged in two ways, in zones about the upper part of the body or in circular areas, generally four in number, equidistantly placed about the shoulder of the vessel.
Fig. 195. Large bottle, with narrow zone containing figures of the alligator—⅓.
An example of the first style is given in Fig. 195, which represents the largest piece in this group of ware. The form is symmetrical and very pleasing to the eye. The surface is not very highly polished and shows the marks of the polishing implement distinctly over the entire surface. Two black lines encircle the flat upper surface of the rim and the outer margin is red. The neck and a narrow zone at the upper part of the body are finished in a cream colored slip and the body below this is red. The narrow band of ornament occupies the lower margin of the light colored zone and consists of five encircling lines in black, three of which are above and two below a band one-half an inch wide, in which five much simplified figures of alligators are drawn. Besides these figures there are two vertical septum-like bands. Each of these consists of three lines bordered by dots, which probably have some relationship with the alligator. The decorated zone of these vessels is divided in various ways into panels, some of which are triangular, while others are rectangular or arched. The latter form is seen in Fig. 196. Five arches, having no border line above, are occupied by abbreviated alligator devices. The number of compartments ranges in other specimens from two to a dozen or more. They are filled in with various devices, to be described in detail further on.
Fig. 196. Vase with decorated zone containing four arched panels—½.
A very peculiar form of decoration consists of circular or rosette-like ornaments, such as are shown in Fig. 197. Four slightly relieved nodes an inch or more in diameter are placed upon the shoulder of the vessel. These are encircled by red lines which inclose two black lines each, and within these are peculiar devices in black. Other vessels furnish figures of greatly diversified characters, most of which evidently refer to life forms. A full series of these is given in a subsequent section of this paper, where the origin of the nodes and the manner in which the painted figures probably became associated with them will be fully set forth.
Fig. 197. Vase with four round nodes upon which animal devices are painted—½.
In the series of outlines presented in Fig. 198, we have some of the varieties of form and decoration of both the ordinary bottles and the plainer tripod cups. Each example presents certain features of particular interest. The handsome little bottle (d) with the plastic ornament about the neck and the zone of geometric ornament in black and red lines is unique. The double necked bottle is an unusual form and its decoration consists of a strangely conceived representation of the alligator. The tripod vases are worthy of close attention: the piece illustrated in b has a zone of ornament separated into three parts by vertical spaces, each part being enframed in black. The sections are divided by red lines into three panels, each of which contains a conventional figure of an alligator in black. The piece shown in a is unique in its decoration. Four angular fret links in black are inclosed in as many panels, bordered by red and separated by blank spaces. These fret links, as I shall show further on, probably refer to or symbolize the alligator. The legs of the cups are all conical and are marked with short transverse lines in black, which have a direct reference to the markings of the animal to which the vase was consecrated. A careful study of the preceding illustrations leads to the conclusion that in the mind of the potters there was a close and important relationship between the vessel and the reptilian forms embodied in both plastic and surface embellishment. The series of examples which follow have a bearing upon this point. I shall begin with that in which the creature is most literally rendered.
|
see caption a |
see caption b |
||
|
see caption c |
see caption d |
see caption e |
|
| Fig. 198. Vases of varied form and decoration. | |||
In Fig. 199 the whole conformation of the vessel is considerably modified through the attempt to perfect the likeness of the alligator, whose head, tail, and legs are graphically rendered. The body, head, and tail are covered with nodes, each of which is encircled by a black ring and has a black dot upon the apex. Dotted rings and short strokes of black occupy the interspaces. These devices represent the spines and scales of the creature’s skin. The legs are marked with horizontal stripes and oval spaces at the top inclose three dots each. The general color of the vessel is a dark brown. This piece should be compared with the alligator whistle shown in Fig. 250.
Fig. 199. Alligator vase, with conventional markings—½.
Fig. 200. Alligator vase, with conventional figures of the alligator painted on the sides—½.
Fig. 201. Vase having the head and tail of a serpent projecting from opposite sides of the body and connected by a meandered design which stands for the markings of the body—½.
A somewhat different treatment is shown in Fig. 200. Here the animal form has undergone considerable modification. There are but three legs—a concession to the conventional tripod—and the body exhibits, instead of the nodes and the markings of the creature’s skin, two conventional drawings of the whole animal. Now, by higher and higher degrees of convention, we come to a long series of modified results which must be omitted for want of room. We find that the plastic features are gradually reduced until mere nodes appear where the head and the tail should be, and finally in the lower forms there remains but a blank panel or a painted device, as already shown in a preceding section. The painted devices are also reduced by degrees until all resemblance to nature is lost and geometric devices alone remain. I observe in this association of plastic and painted features a lack of the perfect consistency I had learned to expect in the work of primitive peoples. It is easy to see how, from painting the markings of the creature’s skin upon the body of the vessel, the painter should come gradually to delineate parts of the creature or even the whole creature, but we should not expect him to paint a creature distinct in kind from that modeled, thus confusing or entirely separating the conceptions; this has been done, apparently, in the vase illustrated in Fig. 202, where the plastic form represents a puma and the painting upon the sides seems intended for an alligator. It will be seen from the figures given that the devices of the panels or sides do not necessarily represent the markings of the animal’s body, as in Fig. 201, but that they may refer to the entire creature (Fig. 200) or even to what appears to be a totally distinct creature (Fig. 202).
Fig. 202. Vase representing a puma, with figures of the alligator painted upon the sides—½.
If realistic or semirealistic delineations are confused in this way it is to be expected that highly conventional derivative figures, so numerous and varied, should be much less clearly distinguished; that indeed there should be no certainty whatever in the reference to originals. It is difficult to say of any particular conventional device that it originated in the figure of the animal as a whole rather than in some part or character of that animal or of some other animal.
Fig. 203. Shallow vase with reptilian features in the round and designs in red and black representing the markings of the creature’s body—½.
A very instructive example bearing upon this subject is shown in Fig. 203. Attached to one side of the basin is a pendent head resembling that of a serpent or a turtle. A kind of hood overhangs the head and extends in a ridge around the sides of the vessel, connecting with the tail of the creature, which is also pendent and hooded. Four legs support the vessel and are marked with transverse stripes of red and black paint. The upper surface of the head is covered with reticulated lines in black, and bands of conventional ornament in the same color extend around the sides of the vessel, uniting the head with the tail of the animal. A single band of ornament passes beneath the body, also connecting those members. It is plain that these painted bands serve to complete the representation of the reptile. But, as I have just shown, they are as likely to stand for the whole creature or to be the abbreviated representative of the whole creature as to represent merely the markings of the body. These devices, as arranged in the zone, resemble in a remarkable degree the conventional running scroll.
Fig. 204. Vase with funnel shaped mouth and square body, supported by two grotesque figures and decorated with figures of alligators and monkeys—½.
I have but one more example of the alligator vases to present, but it is perhaps the most remarkable piece in the collection (Fig. 204). It illustrates to good advantage both the skill and the strange fancy of these archaic potters. A large vase, having a high flaring rim and a subcubical body, is supported by two grotesque human appearing figures, whose backs are set against opposite ends of the vessel. The legs are placed wide apart, thus affording a firm support. The heads of the two figures project forward from the shoulder of the vase and are flattened in such a way as to give long oval outlines to the crowns which are truncated and furnished with long slit-like openings that connect through the head with the main chamber of the vessel. The openings are about two and a half inches long and one-eighth of an inch wide and are surrounded by a shallow channel in the flat, well polished upper surface. The extraordinary conformation of this part of the vessel recalls the well known whistling vases of South America; but this piece is too badly broken to admit of experiment to test its powers. It is generally likened to a money box. In order to convey a clear conception of the shape of the upper surface, I present a top view of the vessel (Fig. 205).
A front view of one of the supporting figures is shown in Fig. 206. Although certainly not intended to represent a human figure with accuracy, it is furnished with a crown, as are the figures in gold and stone, and is covered with devices that seem to refer to costume. The features are extremely grotesque, the nose resembling the beak of a bird and the mouth being a mere ridge, without indications of the lips. The face and the chest are painted with curious devices in red. The funnel and body of the vase are decorated with subjects that seem to have no connection with the plastic features and no relation to one another in subject matter. The upper panel, surrounded by a framework of black and red lines, contains the figure of an alligator much simplified and taking a peculiar position on account of the shape of the space into which it is crowded. The figure occupying the body panel is that of a very strangely conventionalized two tailed monkey and is enframed by a wide red line. On the shoulder of the vessel is an ornament consisting of a number of angular hooks attached to a straight line. The effect is like that of fretwork, but the figure is probably derived from a modified animal form. The paste of this vase is sandy and is reddish gray near the surface and quite dark within the mass. The modeling is thoroughly well done, and the surface, which is of a somber, yellowish gray tint, is highly polished. The figures are drawn chiefly in black, red being confined to broad lines and areas. De Zeltner published photographic illustrations of a similar vase with his pamphlet on the graves of Chiriqui. That specimen is now, I believe, in the hands of Prof. O. C. Marsh, of New Haven. It corresponds very closely in nearly every respect with the example here described.
Fig. 207. Large vase with decorations in red and black—¼.
The polychrome group.—
The National Museum collection contains but three examples of this most artistic of the wares of Chiriqui. Its claim to superiority rests upon a certain boldness and refinement of execution, combined with nobleness of outline and a type of design much in advance of other isthmian decoration. It is probably most nearly allied to the ware of the alligator group, and it possesses some of the characteristics of the best Central American work. Unlike the other wares of Chiriqui, this pottery has a bright salmon red paste and the slip proper is a delicate shade of the same color. In nearly all cases undecorated portions of the surface are finished in red, which appears to have been polished down as a slip. The designs are in three colors—black, a strong red, and a fine gray purple—which, in combination with the bright reddish ground, give a very rich effect. The first example, shown in Fig. 207, is a large, nearly symmetrical bottle with a short neck and a thick, flaring lip. The inner surface of the orifice and the lower half of the body are finished in red and the neck and shoulder in the salmon colored slip. A wide zone of ornament encircles the upper surface of the body. The designs are executed with great skill in red and black colors and include two highly conventional figures, probably of reptilian origin. The manner of their introduction into the zone is shown in Fig. 208. The oval faces are placed on opposite sides, taking the positions usually occupied by modeled heads. Each face is supplemented by a pair of arms which terminate in curiously conventional hands, and the two caudal appendages are placed midway between the faces, filling triangular areas. The body of the vase serves as a body for both creatures. In the illustration, the red of the design, which is carried over all of one face save the eyes and mouth and serves to emphasize the features of the other face, is indicated in vertical tint lines and the black is given in solid color. This vase is twelve inches in height.
Fig. 208. Devices of the decorated zone of vase shown in Fig. 207.
Fig. 209. Handsome vase with four handles and decorations in black, red, and purple—⅔.
A second example, illustrated in Fig. 209, is a fine piece of somewhat unusual shape. The orifice is trumpet shaped and rather too wide for good proportion. The body is flattened above and conical below and is supported by a rather meager annular foot. The paste is of a light brick red color, and the slip, as seen in the ground of the decorated belt, is a pale gray orange. Undecorated portions of the surface are painted red. The ornamented zone is interrupted by two pairs of handle-like appendages set upon the outer part of the shoulder. These projections may possibly have served as handles, as they are perforated both horizontally and vertically, but they are at the same time undoubtedly conventionalized animal forms, the creature being represented by the four flattened, transversely marked arms or rays and an eye-like device painted upon the top of each figure. The painted devices are seen in plan in Fig. 210, where the relations of the relieved features to the zone of painted decoration are clearly shown. This zone is divided into panels of unequal dimensions, and within these a number of extraordinary devices are drawn in three colors, red, black, and purple. These are distinguished in the plan by peculiar tint lines. The designs are of such a character as to leave little doubt that they are ideographic, although at present it is impossible to guess the nature of the associated ideas. The annular foot observed in this specimen illustrates the first step in the development of a feature the final stage of which is shown in Fig. 211. The latter shape is such as would result from inverting the preceding form, removing the conical base of the body, and using the funnel shaped orifice as a stand. This highly developed shape implies a long practice of the art. The form is a usual one in Mexico and in Central America. The bowl is shallow and is set gracefully upon the stand, the whole shape closely resembling simple conditions of the classic kylix. The color of the paste is a pale brick red and that of the slip approaches orange. The walls are thick and even and the surface is very carefully polished.
Fig. 210. The painted designs of vase in Fig. 209 viewed from above.
The painted decoration is of unusual interest. The colors are so rich, the execution is so superior, and the conception so strange that we dwell upon it with surprise and wonder. The central portion of the bowl is occupied by what would seem to represent a fish painted in strong, firm, marvelously turned lines, and in a style of convention wholly unique. The outlines are in black and the spaces are filled in with red and purple or are left in the orange hue of the ground. An idea of the superior style of execution can be gained from Fig. 212. It will be impossible to characterize the details of the drawing in words. The strange position and shape of the head, the oddly placed eyes and mouth, and the totally incomprehensible treatment of the body can be appreciated, however, by referring to the illustration. A careful study leads inevitably to the conclusion that this was no ordinary decoration, no playing with lines, but a serious working out of a conception every part of which had its significance or its raison d’être.
Fig. 211. Vase of unusual shape, with decoration in black, red, and purple—⅓.
Fig. 212. Ornament occupying the interior surface of the basin of vase shown in Fig. 211.
The figures occupying the border zone of the bowl are worthy of careful inspection. It will be seen that the potter, even in this highly specialized condition of the utensil, has not lost sight of the conception that the vessel is the body of an animal, as we have seen so often in simpler forms, and that the symbols of the creature should appear upon it and encircle it. The zone is divided into two equal sections by small knobs, painted, as are the handle-like appendages in the preceding specimen, to represent some animal feature. The lateral sections are occupied by eye-like figures that stand for the markings of the body of the creature symbolized. They really occupy the spaces left by a continuous waved body or life line, which they serve to define. Devices of this class are most frequently met with in connection with representations of the alligator. They may, however, symbolize the serpent, as occasionally seen in the alligator group. Decorative conceptions so remarkable as these could arise only through one channel: the channel of mythology. The superstitions of men have imposed upon the art a series of conceptions fixed in character and limited to especial positions, relations, and forms of expression. It is useless to speculate upon the nature of the mythologic conceptions with an idea of arriving at any understanding of the religion of the people; but we do learn something of the stage of development, something of the condition of philosophy.
Fig. 213. Large vase of fine shape and simple decorations. From De Zeltner—about ¼.
I must not close this section without referring to some fine vases that belong apparently to this group and which were collected by De Zeltner and illustrated by photographs accompanying his pamphlet. They are now, I believe, in the possession of Prof. O. C. Marsh. The sketches given herewith are copied from De Zeltner’s photographs and are probably somewhat defective in details of drawing. The piece illustrated in Fig. 213 is not described by the author, but is evidently a handsome vessel and is decorated in a very simple manner. A band of devices symbolizing the body of an animal encircles the middle portion of the vase. The height is about a foot.
Fig. 214. Vase with extraordinary decorative designs. From De Zeltner—about ¼.
A second piece (Fig. 214), of which two views are given by the same author, corresponds closely in many respects with the vase illustrated in Fig. 211 and is described in the following language:
My collection includes a cup (or chalice) of baked clay 25 centimeters in diameter, mounted on a hollow stand which gives it a height of 18 centimeters, and the designs of which are very rich and in perfect taste. The base is hollow and colored red, white, black, and purple; it has four narrow openings or slits, and the design represents plaits spirally arranged. The under side of the cup is divided into four compartments, each of which incloses a dragon painted in black and red on a white ground; the borders are sometimes red, sometimes purple. The body of the dragon might have been painted in China, so neat and intricate is the drawing.
The design upon the inside of the cup seems to resemble Egyptian art. The body of a man is seen, painted in red, the arms and legs separated, and the shoulders bearing the head of the dragon with teeth and crest. The color is similar to the rest of the piece—purple, white, and black. The intermediate spaces are filled with very intricate designs.
This extraordinary design is shown in Fig. 215, and it will be seen that it agrees in many respects with figures presented in the lost color and alligator groups. It is compound in character, however, the head referring to the alligator, the body and extremities perhaps to a man or to a monkey. The suggestion of the oriental dragon in this, as in other examples, is at once apparent, and the resemblance to certain conventional forms that come down to us from the earliest known period of Chinese art is truly remarkable. We cannot, of course, predicate identity of origin even upon absolute identity of appearances, but such correspondences are worthy of note, as they may in time accumulate to such an extent that the belief in a common origin will force itself upon us.
Fig. 215. Painted design of vase in Fig. 214, viewed from above, thought to represent a dragon by De Zeltner; probably a composite of the alligator and the monkey or man.
Unclassified.—
A small number of vases do not admit of classification under any of the preceding heads. In most cases, however, they are not of especial interest and may be passed over. They represent a number of varieties of ware and are possibly not all Chiriquian, their affinities being rather with the pottery of Costa Rica and Nicaragua. One remarkable piece, of which a sketch is given in Fig. 50, c, is of large size and is shaped somewhat like an hour glass, and on account of its peculiar form and markings may be said to resemble a corset. The upper end is somewhat the smaller, and the septum, which forms the bottom of the vessel, is placed about an inch above the base of the foot. The interior surface is smoothly polished and painted a dark dull red. The exterior is uncolored and neatly fluted. The series of vertical ribs of the upper end is separated from those of the base by a belt of horizontal flutings, and a wide smooth space extends from the top to the base, the lower section of which is occupied by a row of button-like, indented knobs. The use of this utensil may not have been peculiar, but its shape is wholly unique. It resembles most nearly the ware of the maroon group. Its height is twelve inches.
Perhaps the most interesting of these unclassified vases is a somewhat fragmentary piece, of which an outline is given in Fig. 216. The ware closely resembles that of the alligator group in color of the paste and slip, but the base has been supplied with an annular stand, a feature not observed in that group, and the colors of the design, with the exception of the black, are unlike those used in Chiriquian vases.
Fig. 216. Vase of unique form and decoration—⅓.
It will be seen by reference to Fig. 217 that the painted figures are partially pictorial, the conventional scenes including the sun, the moon, and stars. The more conventional parts of the design are very curious and without doubt are symbolic. The border of fret work is Mexican in style. The sun, which is only partially exposed above the horizon, is outlined in red and is surrounded by red rays. The figures supposed to represent the moon and the stars are in black. In the illustration the reds of the original are represented by vertical tint lines and the brownish grays by horizontal tint lines. The black is in solid color.
Fig. 217. Painted design of vase in Fig. 216 in black, red, and gray.
MISCELLANEOUS OBJECTS OF CLAY.
As primitive peoples advance in culture and the various branches of art are differentiated, each of the materials employed is made to fill a wider and wider sphere of usefulness. Clay, applied at first to vessel making and used perhaps as an auxiliary in a number of arts in which it took no definite or individual shapes, gradually extended its dominion until almost every art was in a measure dependent upon it or in some way utilized it. The extent of this expansion of availability is in a general way a measure of the advancement of the races concerned. The Chiriquians employed clay in the construction of textile machinery, as shown by the occurrence of spindle whorls, and a number of small receptacles, probably needlecases, are constructed of that material. It was employed in the manufacture of stools, statuettes, drums, rattles, and whistles. With less cultured races, such as the Pueblo and mound builders of the north, such articles were rarely manufactured, while with the more cultured nations of Mexico and Peru a wider field was covered and the work was considerably superior.
SPINDLE WHORLS.
The art of weaving was carried to a high degree of perfection by many of the American races, but the processes employed were of the simplest kind. The threads were spun upon wooden spindles weighted with whorls of baked clay. These whorls are not plentiful in the graves of Chiriqui, but such as have been collected are quite similar in style to those of Mexico and Peru. In Figs. 218, 219, and 220 we have three examples modeled with considerable attention to detail but comparatively rude in finish. They are in the natural color of the baked clay and are but rudely polished. The first is encircled by a line of rough, indented nodes, the second is embellished with homely little animal figures, and the third with incised patterns and rude incisions.
NEEDLECASES (?).
I have given this name to a rather large class of small oblong or oval receptacles that could have served to contain needles or any other small articles of domestic use or of the toilet. They consist of two parts, a vessel or body and a lid. The former takes a variety of cylindrical, subcylindrical, and doubly conical shapes, and the latter is conical and is in many cases furnished with a knob at the top for grasping with the fingers. The lid is attached or held in place by means of strings passed through small holes made for the purpose in corresponding margins of the two parts. These objects were in pretty general use in the province, as they are found to belong to a number of the groups of ware, being finished and decorated as are the ordinary vessels of these classes. A few type specimens are given in the following cuts. A fine example belonging to the unpainted ware is shown in outline in Fig. 221. It is five inches in height and three in diameter and is pleasing in shape. The specimen outlined in Fig. 222 is of the lost color group, but has lost nearly all traces of the decorative design.
|
see caption |
see caption |
|
Fig. 221. Needlecase of unpainted
clay with conical lid—½. |
Fig. 222. Needlecase, lost color group of ware—½. |
A fine example, with high polish and elaborate decoration, is presented in Fig. 223. The lid is raised to show the position of the perforations. Two interesting examples belonging to the dark incised ware are shown in Figs. 224 and 225. The deeply incised design of the first is purely geometric, but is probably of graphic parentage, while that of the second, rather rudely scratched through the dark surface into the gray paste, is apparently a less highly conventionalized treatment of the same motive.
FIGURINES.
I have already called attention to the fact that there is no such thing in Chiriquian ceramic art as a well modeled human figure and apparently no indication of an attempt to render the human physiognomy with accuracy. It is highly probable that the personages embodied in the mythology of the people took the forms of animals or were anthropomorphic and gave rise to the peculiar conceptions embodied in their arts. The strange objects herewith presented are rendered in a measure intelligible by the adoption of this hypothesis. These figurines are confined to the alligator group of ware and are quite numerous. They are small, carefully finished, and painted with care in red and black lines and figures. They are semihuman and appear to be arrayed in costume. The head of each is triangular in shape, having a sharp, projecting profile, with the mouth set back beneath the chin, reminding one of the face of a squirrel or some such rodent. The figures occupy a sitting posture. The legs are spread out horizontally, giving a firm support, and terminate in blunt cones, which are in some cases slightly bent up to represent feet. The hands rest upon the sides or thighs or clasp a small figure apparently intended for an infant, which, however, does not seem to have any human features. In one case this figure is placed upon the back of the figurine and appears to hold its place by means of four feet armed with claws (Fig. 226); in another it is held in front (Fig. 227). The neck is usually pierced to facilitate suspension, and the under side of the body—the sitting surface—is triply perforated, or punctured if solid, as if for the purpose of fixing the figure in an upright position to some movable support. The central perforation is round and the lateral ones, on the under side of the legs, are oblong. The largest specimen is six inches in height and the smallest about one and a half inches. They are rather elaborately painted with black and red devices which, by their peculiar geometric character, are undoubtedly intended to indicate the costume. The hair is represented by black stripes, which descend upon the neck, and the face is striped with red. They are found associated with other relics in the graves and were possibly only toys, but more probably were tutelary images or served some unknown religious purpose. The sex is usually feminine. Two additional examples showing side and back views are outlined in Figs. 228 and 229.
Fig. 226. Statuette, alligator group—1/1.
Fig. 227. Statuette, alligator group—1/1.
|
see caption |
see caption |
| Fig. 228. Statuette of small size—1/1. | Fig. 229. Statuette of largest size—½. |
STOOLS.
I have given this name to a class of stone carvings presented in a previous section, and, for want of a better name, give it also to a series of similar objects modeled in clay. These are among the most elaborate products of Chiriquian art. In all cases they are of the yellowish unpainted pottery and indicate much freedom and skill in the handling of clay. They do not show any well defined evidences of use, and as they are too slight and fragile to be used as ordinary seats we are left to surmise that they may have served some purpose in the religious rites of the ancient races. They are uniform in construction and general conformation and consist of a circular tablet supported by upright circular walls or by figures which rest upon a strong, ring shaped base. The tablet or plate is somewhat concave above, is less than an inch in thickness, and has a diameter of ten and one-fourth inches in the largest piece, descending to seven and one-half in the smallest. The margin is rounded and usually embellished with a beaded ornament consisting of grotesque heads, generally reptilian. The variations exhibited in details of modeling are well shown by the illustrations. In the example given in Fig. 230 the upright portion is a hollow cylinder, having four vertical slits, alternating with which are oblique bands of ornament in incised lines and punctures. The projecting margin of the tablet is encircled by a row of grotesque, monkey-like heads, facing downward.
Fig. 230. Stool of plain terra cotta, decorated with grotesque heads and incised figures—⅓.
Fig. 231 illustrates a specimen in which three grotesque figures, with forbidding faces, alternate with as many flat columns embellished with rude figures of alligators. Eighteen grotesque, monkey-like heads occupy the lower margin of the seat plate in the spaces between the heads of the supporting figures. This specimen illustrates the favorite Chiriquian method of construction. The various parts were modeled separately in a rough way and then set into place in the order of their importance. When this was done and the insertions were neatly worked together with the fingers, a number of small instruments were employed in finishing: a sharp stylus for indicating parts of the costume, and blunt points and small tubular dies for adding intaglio details of anatomy, such as the navel, the pupils of the eyes, and the partings of the fingers and toes.
Fig. 231. Stool of plain clay, with grotesque figures—½.
The discoidal plate of another specimen is supported by four absurdly grotesque monkeys, giving a general effect much like that of the last.
Fig. 232. Stool of plain terra cotta, with strange figures—⅓.
A very remarkable piece is shown in Fig. 232. The tablet is supported by six grotesque figures, somewhat human in appearance, whose limbs are intertwined with serpents, suggesting the famous group of the Laocoön. The work is roughly done and the details are not carried out in a very consistent manner, as the arms and legs of the figures become confused with the reptiles and are as likely to terminate in a snake’s head as in a hand or foot. The rudely shaped bodies are covered with indented circlets or with short incised lines. The material, color, and finish are as usual. The height is four and one-half inches and the diameter of the tablet ten inches.
There are additional specimens in the National Museum. In one case, the largest specimen of the series, the tablet is supported by five upright female human figures and the margin is encircled by a cornice of forty-six neatly modeled reptilian heads. A small example differs considerably in general shape from those illustrated, the base being much smaller than the circular tablet. The supporting figures are two rudely modeled ocelots and two monkey-like figures, all of which are placed in an inverted position. Similar objects are obtained from the neighboring states of Central and South America.
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.
Something is already known of the musical instruments of the ancient Chiriquians through fugitive specimens that have found their way into collections in all parts of Europe and America. The testimony of the earthen relics—for no others are preserved to us—goes to show that the art of music was, in its rude way, very assiduously practiced, and that it probably constituted with these, as with most primitive communities, a serious and important feature in the various ceremonial exercises. Clay is naturally limited to the production of a small percentage of the musical instruments of any people, the various forms of woody growths being better adapted to their manufacture. We have examples of both instruments of percussion and wind instruments, the former class embracing drums and rattles and the latter whistles and clarionette-like pipes.
Rattles.—
Besides the ordinary rattles attached to and forming parts of vessels, as already described, there are a number of small pieces that seem to have served exclusively as rattles, while some are rattle and whistle combined in one piece. In no case, however, would they seem to the unscientific observer to be more than mere toys, as they are of small size and the sounds emitted are too weak to be perceptible at any considerable distance. At the same time it is true that they may have had ceremonial offices of no little consequence to the primitive priesthood. The simple rattles are shaped like gourds, the body being globular and the neck or handle long and straight. Like the wares already described, they are finished and decorated, the majority belonging to the lost color group. The length varies from three to six or seven inches. A number of minute slit-like orifices or perforations for the emission of the sound occur about the upper part of the body (Fig. 233). A septum is placed in the lower part of the neck, so that the handle, which is hollow and open at the upper end, may serve as a whistle. In some cases the lower part of the neck is perforated for suspension at the point occupied by the septum, as imperfectly shown in the section (Fig. 234). The most interesting specimen in the collection is shown in Fig. 235; it is especially notable on account of its construction, which points clearly to the gourd as a prototype. The body is of the usual globular shape, slightly elongated above. The neck is represented as a separate piece lashed on with cords by means of perforations made for the purpose, just as are the handles of similar instruments constructed of gourds and reeds in Central American countries. The compartments of the handle and of the body are separate and the sound produced by the small oval pellets is emitted through slits of the usual form. The top of the handle is surmounted by a pair of grotesque human figures, male and female, placed back to back and united at the backs of the heads as seen in the cut. This object is gray in color and presents the roughened granular surface resulting from long exposure to the elements.
Drums.—
The drum was a favorite instrument with the native American musician. Early explorers found its use next to universal, and the “tambour” is even now a characteristic feature of the musical paraphernalia of the Spanish-Americans. The primitive instrument was made by stretching a thin sheet of animal tissue over the orifice of a large gourd vessel or a vessel of wood or clay. The use of clay was probably exceptional, as there are but three specimens in our Chiriquian collection. The shape is somewhat like that of an hour glass, the upper part, however, being considerably larger than the base or stand. In all cases the principal rim is finished with especial reference to the attachment of the vibrating head. The example presented in Fig. 236 has a deeply scarified belt an inch wide encircling the rim, and below it is a narrow ridge, intended perhaps to facilitate the lashing or cementing on of the head. Two raised bands, intended to imitate twisted cords, encircle the most constricted part of the body, a single band similarly marked encircling the base. The surface is gray in color and but rudely polished. The walls are about three-eighths of an inch thick, the height sixteen and one-half inches, and the greatest diameter seven and one-half inches.
|
see caption |
see caption |
| Fig. 236. Drum of gray unpainted clay—¼. | Fig. 237. Drum with painted ornament in the style of the lost color group—1/9. |
The decorated specimen illustrated in Fig. 237 is imperfect, a few inches of the base having been lost. The shape is rather more elegant than that of the other specimen and the surface is neatly finished and polished. The ground color or slip is a warm yellow gray and the decoration is in red and black. The rim or upper margin is rather rudely finished and is painted red and on the exterior is made slightly concave and furnished with a raised band to facilitate the attachment of the head. The painted ornament encircles the body in four zones, two upon the upper portion and two upon the base. The designs occupying the body zones are unique and viewed in the light of their probable origin are extremely interesting. In another place further on in this paper I shall show that they are probably very highly conventionalized derivatives of the alligator radical, the meandered line representing the body of the creature and the scalloped hooks the extremities (Fig. 238). The two bands upon the base consist of geometric figures, the origin of which cannot be definitely determined, although they also probably refer to the alligator.
Fig. 238. Conventional design on drum shown in Fig. 237, composed of alligator derivatives.
In the collection there is a minute toy drum of the same general shape, and the same form reappears in some of the whistles, in one of which (Fig. 247) the skin head and its fastenings are all carefully reproduced in miniature. The immediate original of this particular form of drum was probably made of wood. A drum, recently brought from Costa Rica was made by hollowing out a cylindrical piece of wood and stretching a piece of snakeskin across the top. The shape is nearly identical with that of these earthen specimens.
Wind instruments.—
Earthenware wind instruments are found in considerable numbers and are associated with other relics in the tombs. Nearly all are very simple in construction and are limited in musical power, receiving and perhaps generally deserving no better name than whistles or toys. A few pieces are more pretentious and yield a number of notes, and if operated by skilled performers or properly concerted are capable of producing pleasing melodies. It is not difficult to determine the powers of individual instruments, but we cannot say to what extent these powers were understood by the original owners, nor can we say whether or not they were intended to be played in unison in such a way as to give a certain desired succession of intervals. There are, however, in a large number of these instruments a uniformity in construction and a certain close correspondence in the number and degree of the sounds that indicate the existence of well established standards. It does not appear absolutely certain to me that the system of intervals was made to conform to that of any known scale; but a difficulty arises in attempting to determine this point, as most of the pieces are more or less mutilated. We find also that the note producible by any given stop is not fixed in pitch, but varies, with the force of the breath, two or even three full intervals. As a result of this a glide is possible to the skilled performer from note to note and any desired pitch can be taken.
In material, finish, and decoration these objects do not differ from the ordinary pottery. A majority belong to the alligator group. The size is generally small, the largest specimen being about eight inches in length. The shapes are wonderfully varied and indicate a lively imagination on the part of the potter. Animal forms prevail very decidedly, that of the bird being a great favorite. In many cases the animals copied can be identified, but in others they cannot—perhaps from our lack of knowledge of the fauna of the province, perhaps from carelessness on the part of the artist or from the tendency to model grotesque and complicated shapes. The following creatures can be recognized: men, pumas, ocelots, armadillos, eagles, owls, ducks, parrots, several varieties of small birds, alligators, crabs, and scorpions. Vegetal forms, excepting where in use as instruments or utensils, as reeds and gourds, were not copied. In the National Museum collection there are two tubular pipes, probably modeled after reeds, and another resembles a gourd in shape. The construction of the whistling apparatus is identical in all cases and corresponds to that of our flageolets (see sections, Figs. 240 and 242). Plain tubes were doubtless also used as whistles, and all utensils of small size, such as needlecases and toy vases, can be made to give forth a note more or less shrill, according to the size of the chamber. The simplest form of whistle produces two shrill notes identical in pitch. The shape is double, suggesting a primitive condition of the tibiæ pares of the Romans. The parts are pear or gourd shaped, are joined above and below, and have an opening between the necks. The two mouthpieces are so close together that both are necessarily blown at once. The note produced is pitched very high and is extremely penetrating, not to say ear splitting, making an excellent call for the jungles and forests of the tropics. A small specimen is presented full size in Fig. 239, and the section in Fig. 240 shows the relative positions of the mouthpieces, air passages, vent holes, and chambers.
|
see caption |
see caption |
| Fig. 239. Double whistle, lost color ware—1/1. | Fig. 240. Section of double whistle. |