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.
[Illustration: Fig. 230. Stool of plain terra cotta, decorated with
grotesque heads and incised figures--1/3.]
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.
[Illustration: 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.
[Illustration: Fig. 232. Stool of plain terra cotta, with strange
figures--1/3.]
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.