Vessels of this class were probably not devoted to the ordinary uses
of cooking and serving food. They are handsome in shape, tasteful in
decoration, and generally of small dimensions. They are found, as are
all other forms, buried with the dead, placed by the head or feet, or
within reach of the hands. Their appearance is not suggestive of their
original office, as there is no indication of wear, or of use over
fire.
FORM.--I include under this head a series of forms reaching from the
wide-mouthed pot to the well-developed bottle. They really correspond
closely to the high-necked bottles in all respects save in height of
neck, and the separation is therefore for convenience of treatment
only. The following illustration (Fig. 406) will give a good idea of
the forms included.
[Illustration: FIG. 406.--Forms of jar-shaped bottles.]
There are also many eccentric and many extremely interesting life
forms included in this group. A number of vases, modeled after the
human head, are, by their general outline, properly included.
ORNAMENTATION.--The rims, bodies, and bases are embellished much after
the fashion of the vessels already described, with the exception that
handles or handle-like appendages or ornaments seldom appear. The
painted designs are in one, two, or three colors, and the incised
figures have been executed both in the soft and in the thoroughly
dried clay.
The style of execution is often of a very high order, especially in
some of the more southerly examples, a number of which are from the
mounds of Mississippi and Louisiana. We note the fact that in a few of
the designs there is a slight suggestion of Mexican forms.
In illustrating this group, I am compelled, for the want of space
to omit many interesting examples. I present only such as seem to me
especially instructive.
[Illustration: FIG. 407.--Bottle: Pecan Point, Arkansas.]
ILLUSTRATIONS.--_Ordinary forms._--The vessel shown in Fig. 407 may be
taken as a type of a very large class. It is most readily described
as a short-necked, wide-mouthed bottle. It is symmetrical in shape and
very nicely finished. The lip is supplied with a narrow, horizontal
rim. The body expands somewhat abruptly from the base of the upright
neck to the squarish shoulder, and contracts below in an even curve,
giving a hemispherical base. There are a multitude of variations from
this outline, a few of which are suggested in Fig. 406. These vessels
are nearly all of the dark, grayish-brown, fire-mottled ware. A
few are yellowish, and such are often painted red or decorated with
designs in red and white.
[Illustration: FIG. 408.--Bottle: Arkansas.--1/3.]
[Illustration: FIG. 409.--Bottle: Arkansas.--1/3.]
Two charming vases are shown in Figs. 408 and 409. The surface finish
is in both cases very superior. The lines of the figures are carefully
drawn, and seem to have been produced by the trailing, under even
pressure, of a smooth rather blunt point. It is difficult to get so
nicely finished and even a line by simple incision, or by excavating
the clay. The design in Fig. 408 consists of eight groups of curved
lines arranged in pairs, which are separated by plain vertical bands.
It might be considered an interrupted or imperfectly connected form of
the running scroll. This grouping of lines is frequently met with in
the decorative designs of the Southern States. The design upon the
other vase, Fig. 409, is still more characteristic of the South. It
consists of an encircling row of round, shallow indentations, about
which series of incised scrolls are linked, and of two additional rows
of depressions, one above and the other below, through which parallel
lines are drawn.
Many other interesting illustrations of the simpler forms could
be given, but nearly all are very similar in their more important
features to the examples that precede or follow.
As skilled as these peoples were in modeling life forms, and in
engraving geometric devices, they seem rarely to have attempted the
linear representation of life forms. We have, however, two very good
examples.
[Illustration: FIG. 410.--Engraved bottle: Arkansas.]
The first of these is shown in outline in Fig. 410. It is a large
bottle embellished with four rude drawings of the human figure,
executed with a sharp point in the soft clay. Height of vessel, eight
inches.
The work is characteristic of a very early stage of art. The figures
could be duplicated in the work of the ancient Pueblos, and in the
pictographic art of many of our savage tribes. They are probably
derived from symbolic art, and possibly relate to the guardians of the
four points of the compass, or to some similar mythical characters.
[Illustration: FIG. 411.--Engraved bottle: Arkansas.--3/4.]
The work upon the neat little bottle, presented in Fig. 411, is of the
same class as the above but of a much higher grade, both in execution
and conception. The engraved design is one of the most remarkable
ever obtained from the mounds. It consists of two winged and crested
rattlesnakes, which encircle the most expanded part of the vessel, and
of two sunflower-like figures, alternating with them. These designs
are very carefully engraved with a needle-like point, and are adjusted
to the form of the vase in a way that suggests forethought and an
appreciation of the decorative value of the figures. By dint of
rubbings, photographs and sketches, I have obtained the complete
drawing of the various figures which are given in Fig. 412 on a scale
of one-half the original.
[Illustration: FIG. 412.--Engraved design.--1/2.]
The serpent, especially the rattlesnake, has always taken a leading
place in the mythology and the art of the more cultured American
races, and crest-plumes, and wings have often been considered its
proper attributes. The conventional method of representation is also
characteristically aboriginal. The plumes, the figure connected with
the eye, the bands upon the neck, the stepped figures of the body, and
the semi-circular patches on the wings are all characters that appear
again and again in the ancient art of the United States. The peculiar
emblematic treatment of the heart is almost universal in temperate
North America. And just here I may be permitted to suggest that the
remarkable feature of the great earth-work serpent of Adams county,
Ohio, which has been regarded as the "symbolic egg," and which in
its latest phase has become the issue of a frog and the prey of
the serpent, is possibly intended for the heart of the serpent, the
so-called frog being the head. The rosette figures are not often
duplicated in Indian art. There can be little doubt that the figures
of this design are derived from mythology.
_Eccentric forms._--A form of vessel of which civilized men make
peculiar use is depicted in Fig. 413. There is a marked resemblance
to a common tea-pot. A very few examples have been found, two of which
are illustrated in the Third Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology.
The specimen here given is well made and carefully finished. The neck
is low and wide, and the body is a compressed sphere. The spout is
placed upon one side and a low knob upon the other. The absence of
a handle for grasping indicates that the vessel was probably not
intended for boiling water. These characters are uniform in all the
specimens that have come to my notice. Two small circular depressions
occur on the sides of the vessel alternating with the spout and
the knob and with these features form centers for four rosettes of
involute incised lines. The origin of this form of vessel is
suggested by a fine red piece from "Mississippi," now in the national
collection. The knob is the head of a turtle or other full-bodied
reptile, and the spout takes the place of the creature's tail. Many of
the animal-shaped vases would resemble this form closely if an opening
were made through the top of the body and through the tail.
[Illustration: FIG. 413.--Teapot-shaped vessel: Arkansas.--1/3.]
[Illustration: FIG. 414.--Vessel of eccentric form: Arkansas.--1/3.]
In connection with the teapot-like vessels it will be well to describe
another novel form not wholly unlike them in appearance, an example
being shown in Fig. 414. The shoulder is elongated on opposite sides
into two curved, horn-like cones, which give to the body a somewhat
crescent-shaped outline. It is of the ordinary plain, dark ware, and
has had a low stand or base which is now broken away.
The specimen given in Fig. 415 has been considerably mutilated, but
evidently belongs to the same class as the preceding. It probably
also resembled the vessel which follows; it serves at least as a link
between the two. The body is ornamented with carelessly drawn, deeply
incised, involute designs.
[Illustration: FIG. 415.--Vessel of eccentric form: Pecan Point,
Arkansas.--1/3.]
[Illustration: FIG. 416.--Animal-shaped vase: Pecan Point,
Arkansas.--1/3.]
_Life forms._--A further elaboration of the preceding forms is
illustrated in Fig. 416. On one side the conical projection is greatly
elongated and fashioned to resemble the head of some grotesque beast,
with horns, expanded nostrils, and grinning mouth. The opposite point
is elongated and looped, forming a tail, while the base of the body
is furnished with four feet. On the sides of the vessel are engraved
figures, consisting of clusters of involute lines, as in the specimen
just given. It is of the ordinary dark pottery, and was obtained at
Pecan Point.
Equally noteworthy as plastic representations are the two examples
that follow. The vessel shown in Fig. 417 is modeled in imitation of
a sunfish. The body is much flattened and is neatly polished. The head
is well modeled, as are also the fins and tail. Many examples of this
form are found, some of which are elaborately treated, the scales
being minutely shown. The body of the fish is sometimes placed in the
natural upright position, the neck of the vessel rising from the back,
producing a lenticular shape.
[Illustration: FIG. 417.--Sunfish vase: Arkansas.--1/3.]
The animal so carefully modeled in the vessel given in Fig. 418
resembles a raccoon or an opossum. The mouth of the vessel is wide and
the neck upright and short. The body is ornamented with a pattern
made up of triangular groups of incised lines, which may or may not be
meant for hair.
[Illustration: FIG. 418.--Opossum vase: Arkansas.--2/3.]
The love of modeling life forms shows itself again in the little vase
illustrated in Fig. 419. The head of some animal, rudely suggested,
projects from one side, while a curved tail on the other carries out
the idea of the complete creature. The round body is decorated with
broad vertical lines in dark red. A red line encircles the rim.
[Illustration: FIG. 419.--Animal-shaped vase: Arkansas.--1/3.]
It is not strange that a people who had successfully engaged in the
modeling of life forms, and especially the heads of animals, should
attempt the human head. Their remarkable success in this direction is
shown in a number of vases, one of which is given in Fig. 420. This
and kindred peoples had made considerable progress in carving in stone
and other materials, evincing a decided talent for sculpture; but clay
is so much more readily manipulated than either wood, stone, or shell,
that we are not surprised to find their best work in that material.
It is an interesting fact that with all this cleverness in the
handling of clay, and in the delineation of varied models, the art had
not freed itself from the parent stem--the vessel--and launched out
into an independent field. In a few cases such an end seems to have
been achieved by certain groups of mound builders, notably those whose
works at Madisonville, Ohio, have recently been explored by Professor
Putnam. Modeling in clay was probably confined to vessels for the
reason that, through their humble agency, the art was developed.
Up to the present time I have met with but eight of these curious
head-shaped vases. All were obtained from the vicinity of Pecan Point,
Arkansas, and, like other vessels, have been associated with human
remains in graves or mounds. It is true that in all cases the bones of
the dead have not been found, but this only indicates their complete
decay. The question as to whether or not these vases were made
exclusively for sepulchral purposes must remain unanswered; there is
no source of information upon the subject. Such a purpose is, however,
suggested in this case by the semblance of death given to the faces.
The finest example yet found is shown in Fig. 420. In form it is a
simple head, five inches in height and five inches wide from ear to
ear. The aperture of the vase is in the crown, and is surrounded by a
low, upright rim, slightly recurved. The cavity is roughly finished,
and follows pretty closely the contour of the exterior surface,
excepting in projecting features such as the ears, lips, and nose.
The walls are generally from one-eighth, to one-fourth of an inch in
thickness, the base being about three-eighths. The bottom is flat, and
takes the level of the chin and jaws.
The material does not differ from that of the other vessels of the
same locality. There is a large percentage of shell, some particles of
which are quite large. The paste is yellowish gray in color and
rather coarse in texture. The vase was modeled in the plain clay and
permitted to harden before the devices were engraved. After this
a thick film of fine yellowish-gray clay was applied to the face,
partially filling up the engraved lines. The remainder of the surface,
including the lips, received a thick coat of dark red paint. The whole
surface was then highly polished.
[Illustration: FIG. 420.--Head-shaped vase: Pecan Point,
Arkansas.--1/2.]
The illustration will convey a more vivid conception of this striking
head than any description that can be given. The face cannot be
said to have a single feature strongly characteristic of Indian
physiognomy. We have instead the round forehead and the projecting
mouth of the African. The nose, however, is small and the nostrils are
narrow. The face would seem to be that of a youngish person, perhaps
a female. The features are all well modeled, and are so decidedly
individual in character that the artist must have had in his mind a
pretty definite conception of the face to be produced as well as of
the expression appropriate to it, before beginning his work. It will
be impossible, however, to prove that the portrait of a particular
personage was intended. The closed eyes, the rather sunken nose, and
the parted lips were certainly intended to give the effect of death.
The ears are large, correctly placed, and well modeled; they are
perforated all along the margin, thus revealing a practice of the
people to whom they referred. The septum of the nose appears to have
been pierced, and the horizontal depression across the upper lip may
indicate the former presence of a suspended ornament.
[Illustration: FIG. 421.--The engraved figures.]
[Illustration: FIG. 422.--Head covering.]
Perhaps the most unique and striking feature is the pattern of incised
lines that covers the greater part of the face. The lines are deeply
engraved and somewhat "scratchy," and were apparently executed in the
hardened clay before the slip was applied. The left side of the
face is plain, with the exception of a figure somewhat resembling a
grappling hook in outline which partially surrounds the eye. The right
side is covered with a comb-like pattern, placed vertically, with the
teeth upwards. The middle of the forehead has a series of vertical
lines and a few short horizontal ones just above the root of the nose.
There are also three curved lines near the corner of the mouth not
shown in the cut.
The diagram presented herewith (Fig. 421) gives in dotted lines the
correct outline of the front face, and shows projected in solid lines
the engraved figures. The significance of these markings can only be
surmised in the most general way. Their function is probably the same
as that of the tattooed and painted figures upon the faces of living
races.
It will be well to observe that upon the forehead, at the top, there
is a small perforated knob or loop. Similar appendages may be
seen upon many of the clay human heads from this valley. A Mexican
terra-cotta head now in the museum at Mexico has a like feature, and,
at the same time, has closed eyes and an open mouth.
The head dress should be noticed. It seems to have been modeled after
a cloth or skin cap. It extends over the forehead, falls back over
the back of the head, and terminates in points behind, as seen in Fig.
422. Two layers of the material are represented, the one broad, the
other narrow and pointed, both being raised a little above the surface
upon which they rest. This vase head is somewhat smaller than the
average human head.
[Illustration: FIG. 423.--Head-shaped vase: Pecan Point,
Arkansas.--1/2.
[_National Museum._]]
Another of a very similar character now in the Davenport Museum is
about one-half the size of this. The face is much mutilated.
A third is somewhat larger than the one illustrated, but is nearly the
same in finish and color. The face also has the semblance of death,
but the features are different, possessing very decided Indian
characteristics. There is no tattooing.
All of these heads, including also some of those in the National
Museum, are much alike in conception and execution.
This fact will be forcibly impressed upon the mind by a study of Fig.
423, which represents a specimen recently exhumed at Pecan Point
by agents of the Bureau of Ethnology. In size, form, color, finish,
modeling of features, and expression, this head closely resembles the
one first described. The work is not quite so carefully executed and
the head has probably not such pronounced individuality. The curious
device that in the other example appeared near the left eye here
occurs on both sides. The lower part of the face is elaborately
engraved. Three lines cross the upper lip and cheeks, reaching to the
ear; a band of fret-like devices extends across the mouth to the base
of the ears, and another band filled in with oblique reticulated lines
passes around the chin and along the jaws. The ears are perforated as
in the other case and the septum of the nose is partially broken away
as if it had once held a ring. A perforated knob has occupied the top
of the forehead as in the other case. The face is coated with a light
yellowish gray slip, and the remainder of the surface is red.
[Illustration: FIG. 424.--Head-shaped vase: Arkansas.--1/3.
[_Thibault Collection._]]
Fig. 424 illustrates a very interesting specimen of the red pottery
of Arkansas. It belongs to the collection of Mr. Thibault, of Little
Rock, and was obtained from a mound in the vicinity of that city. The
body is slightly lenticular and the human face, which is modeled upon
one side, interferes but little with the outline. The face is slightly
relieved and extends from the neck of the vase to the widest part of
the body, and laterally occupies about one-third of the circumference.
The middle portion of the face is finished with a light flesh-colored
slip, the remainder of the surface of the vessel being painted a
bright rich red. Like the preceding example, the countenance is
made to give the appearance of death or sleep. Other face-vessels of
scarcely less interest are found in the Thibault collection.