A brief summary of the more salient points of interest dwelt upon in
this paper may very appropriately be given in this place. We find that a
limited area--a small and obscure province of the isthmian
region--possesses a wonderful wealth of art products the character of
which indicates a long period of occupation by peoples of considerable
culture. The art remains are perhaps as a whole inferior to those of the
districts to the north and south, but they possess many features in
common with the art of neighboring provinces. There is, however, at the
same time, a well marked individuality. In conception and execution
these works are purely aboriginal, and, so far as can be determined by
the data at hand, are pre-Columbian, and possibly to a great extent
remotely pre-Columbian. The discovery of articles of bronze, which metal
we cannot prove to be of indigenous production, is the only internal
evidence pointing toward the continuance of the ancient epoch of culture
into post-Columbian times. The relics are obtained from tombs from which
nearly all traces of human remains have disappeared.
Art in stone covers the ground usually occupied by works in this
material in other Central American countries, save in the matter of
architecture, of which art there are but meager traces. There are rock
inscriptions, statuettes and statues of rather rude character, shapely
mealing stones, elaborately carved seats or stools, many celts of
extremely neat workmanship, spear and arrow points of unique shape, and
a very few beads and pendent ornaments. There are apparently no traces
of implements of war.
In metal there are numerous and somewhat remarkable works. They are of
gold, gold-copper alloy, copper, and bronze. The objects are of small
size, rarely reaching a pound in weight, and they are almost exclusively
pendent ornaments. They were, for the most part, cast in molds, and in
nine cases out of ten represent animal forms. A few bells are found, all
of which are of bronze. Pieces formed of alloyed metal are usually
washed or plated with pure gold.
The great body of relics are in clay, and the workmanship displayed is
often admirable. Vases are found in great numbers, and as a rule are
small and shapely, and are so carefully and elaborately decorated as to
lead to the inference that their office was in a great measure
ceremonial. They take a high place among American fictile products for
grace of form and beauty of decoration. There is neither glaze nor
evidence of the use of a wheel. Besides vases we have several other
classes of objects, which include grotesque, toy-like statuettes, small,
covered receptacles resembling needlecases, seat-like objects
elaborately modeled, spindle whorls, and musical instruments. The
occurrence of numerous specimens of the two latter classes indicates
that the arts of weaving and music were assiduously practiced.
An examination of the esthetic features of the ceramic art has proved
exceptionally instructive. We find much that is worthy of attention in
the forms of vases as well as in the plastic or relieved features of
embellishment, and a still richer field is opened by the study of the
incised and painted--the flat--decorations.
I have shown that the elements of decoration flow into the ceramic art
chiefly through two channels, the one from art and the other from
nature. Elements from art are mainly of mechanical origin, and are,
therefore, non-imitative and geometric. Elements from nature imitate
natural forms, and hence are primarily non-geometric. Elements from art,
being mechanical, are meaningless or non-ideographic; those from nature
are in early stages of art usually associated with mythologic
conceptions, and hence are ideographic. All decorations may therefore
have four dual classifications, as follows: First, with reference to
method of realization, as plastic and flat; second, with reference to
derivation, as mechanical and imitative; third, with reference to plan
of manifestation, as geometric and non-geometric; and, fourth, with
reference to the association of ideas, as significant and
non-significant.
I have found that the ceramic art, having acquired the various elements
of ornament, carries them by methods of its own through many strange
mutations of form. The effect upon life forms is of paramount
importance, as is indicated by the following broad and striking
generalization: The agencies of modification inherent in the art in its
practice are such that any particular animal form extensively employed
in decoration is capable of changing into or giving rise to any or to
all of the highly conventional decorative devices upon which our leading
ornaments, such as the meander, the scroll, the fret, the chevron, and
the guilloche, are based. It is further seen, however, that ideographic
elements are not necessarily restricted to decorative or symbolic
functions, for the processes of simplification reduce them to forms well
suited to employment in hieroglyphic and even in phonetic systems of
expression. Such systems are probably made up to a great extent of
characters the conformation of which is due to the unthinking--the
mechanical--agencies of the various arts.