_Wolf._—Although there are not sufficiently characteristic features
represented in the next figure (pl. 2, fig. 1)[35] to identify it
satisfactorily, the form of the head, tail, mouth, and ears suggests
a wolf.[36] The square design[37] covering one side of the body seems
to the author not to belong to the animal itself, for an Indian who
could represent an animal as faithfully as those here pictured would
not place on it such markings unless for a purpose. It resembles the
small blankets sometimes worn by pet dogs or horses among white people,
which is a lame explanation, as dog and horse blankets were unknown
among Indians. The only theory the author has formed regarding this
geometrical figure is that it is a variant of the Sikyatki habit of
accompanying a figure of an animal with a representation of his shrine.
This bowl is of black and white ware and is eleven inches in diameter
by five and one-half inches deep.
[Illustration: FIG. 19.—Antelope. (Osborn collection.) Diam. 10″.]
_Antelope._—There are two[38] figures of an animal with branching
horns,[39] supposed to be an antelope, an animal formerly common in
Mimbres Valley. In one of these (fig. 19) the head is held downward
as if the animal were feeding; in the other (fig. 20) the neck is
extended. A pair of markings on the neck are identical with those on
pictures of the antelope still painted on modern pottery made by the
Zuñi. A band, resembling a checkerboard, is drawn across the body of
one; on the other are parallel lines.
[Illustration: FIG. 20.—Antelope. Osborn Ruin. Diam. 10″.]
Another figure referred to as an antelope appears to represent a young
fawn, since, while it has all the characteristics of this animal, the
horns are wanting. This specimen (fig. 21) was found at Oldtown. The
rectangular shape so often given to the bodies of animals drawn on
Mimbres pottery is well shown in this specimen.
[Illustration: FIG. 21.—Fawn. Oldtown Ruin.]
[Illustration: FIG. 22.—Rabbit. Oldtown Ruin. Diam. 7½″.]
_Mountain Sheep._—It is evident from the form of the unbranched horns,
the slender legs, and the head, that either a mountain sheep or
mountain goat was intended to be represented in plate 2, figure 2. The
markings on the body are symbolic, suggesting lightning, and it may
be added that the Hopi depict the lightning on the artificial horns
mounted on caps and worn by them in presentations of dances in which
they personate mountain sheep.
_Rabbit or Hare._—The pictured representation (fig. 31) of a quadruped
whose hindlegs are larger than the forelegs and whose long backward
extending ears are prominent features, probably represents a rabbit or
a hare. The eyes recall figures of birds depicted on bowls from the
Little Colorado ruins in Arizona, where eyes are depicted on one side
of the head in violation of a law of perspective in which only one eye
can appear on a lateral view. The figure appears to have a tuft of
grass in the mouth. The geometric markings on the body are different
from those of any known species of rabbit and belong to the category of
symbolic designs.
[Illustration: FIG. 23.—Mountain lion or wild cat. (Osborn collection.)]
[Illustration: FIG. 25.—Bird E. Osborn Ruin. (Osborn collection.)]
The author excavated at Oldtown a food bowl, the figure on which was
undoubtedly intended for a rabbit (fig. 22). The head, ears, body,
legs, and tail are well made, leaving no question of the intention of
the artist; but if there were any doubt of the identification it is
dispelled by the representation of the mouth, on which the sensitive
hairs or bristles are represented.
_Mountain Lion._—One of the Oldtown bowls is decorated with a
representation of the wild cat or mountain lion, and is a fair example
of archaic design (fig. 23). The feature that distinguished this
quadruped is the position of the tail which, like those of Pueblo
pictures of mountain lions or cats, is bent forward over the back.
Both head and body are rectangular and the legs are short and stumpy
with sharp curved claws. The ears, mouth, and teeth have characteristic
features of carnivora and the tail is banded, especially near the end.
The geometric design on the side of the body consists of an angular,
S-shaped design with two equal armed stars, the latter associated with
the mountain lion in Pueblo symbolism. The single figure drawn on this
bowl occupied the middle of the interior, but in the next bowl this
figure is duplicated.
The two figures on another bowl also represent some cat, or mountain
lion, but the geometric figure on its body differs so much from the
first specimen that it may belong to a different genus. The geometrical
designs occur on both the anterior and posterior extremities of the
rectangular body and consist of triangular figures with parallel lines
and terraces recalling rain-clouds. This bowl is owned by Mr. E. D.
Osborn, and was found at Oldtown. The decorations on the two quadrants
alternating with the animal figures are bands from which other markings
radiate to the side of the bowl.
_Badger._—The quadruped drawn on the inside of a bowl found at Oldtown,
and now owned by Mr. E. D. Osborn, has some resemblances to a badger,
especially in the head, ears, teeth, and tail. The geometrical design
on the body of this animal consists of an unequal sided rectangle
enclosing four triangles with angles so approximated as to form an
enclosed rectangle. The head has two bands extending longitudinally,
apparently conventionalized markings characteristic of this animal, as
they do not occur on deer, wildcats, or mountain sheep.
_Birds._—As has been pointed out in the author’s identifications[40]
of designs on Sikyatki pottery, those representing birds are among the
most abundant. The same holds also in the pottery from the Mimbres,
where several figures identified as birds occur on food bowls. Two of
these are duplicated on the same vessel, practically the same figure
being repeated on opposite sides. In the latter case each member of the
pair faces in an opposite direction or is represented as if moving with
the middle of the bowl on the left.[41]
The various birds differ considerably in their forms, organs,
attitudes, and appendages. Two of the pictures seem to represent the
same bird, but the others belong to different genera. There are one
or two figures in which feathers can be distinguished, but as a rule
they are fewer in number and the feathers less conventionalized than in
Sikyatki pottery.
Pending the difficulty in identifying the various designs representing
birds, they are designated by letters A, B, C, D, etc.
_Bird A._—The figure shown in plate 3, figure 1, is represented by two
designs, practically the same, repeated so far as appendages go, but
quite different in the ornamentation of their bodies. One of these has
the same geometrical figure on its body as on one of the quadruped
pictures, the second has a different design. Both birds have wings
outspread as if in flight, in which the feathers are well drawn in
detail, especially the wing on the side turned toward the observer.
That on the opposite side is simply uniformly black. The feathers of
its companion on the other side of the bowl are indicated by parallel
lines. The tail is long and forked at the extremity, suggesting a
hawk, and is decorated for two-thirds of its length with cross-hatched
and parallel lines. A triangular appendage arises from the under side
of the tail at the point where the line decoration ends, forming an
appendage which is likewise represented in the companion picture.
_Bird B._—Bird B (pl. 3, fig. 2) is painted on the interior of a food
bowl of black and white ware, ten inches in diameter by five inches
deep. Its body is oval, the head erect and undecorated, and the tail
twisted from a horizontal into a vertical plane as is customary in
representation of lateral views of birds from Pueblo ruins. The
geometric figure on the body is unfortunately somewhat obscured by the
plaster used in mending, but several parallel bars that may represent
feathers of the wings show through it, and a number of other designs or
parallel lines are apparent. An appendage of triangular form hangs from
the lower margin of the body and indicates the position of one leg; the
other leg is missing.
_Bird C._—Bird C, shown in plate 4, figure 1, occurs on a black and
white bowl that measures ten inches in diameter, five and one-half
inches in depth. The figure occupies the circular zone in the middle
of the bowl and is enclosed by parallel lines which surround the bowl
near the rim. The top of the head, which is globular, is white in
color, the beak projecting and the eyes comparatively large. The body
is likewise globular and is covered by a square geometrical design the
details of which are considerably obscured by the hole in the middle
of the jar. A number of parallel lines of unequal length, turned
downward, hang from the rear of the body and form the tail. The long
legs suggest a wading bird, and the widely extended claws point to the
same identification.
_Bird D._—One of the most instructive figures of birds occurs on a
bowl from Oldtown ruin. This bowl (fig. 24) is now owned by Mr. E. D.
Osborn, by whom it was found. The bird depicted on it is seen from the
back; its wings are drooping, and parallel lines indicate feathers. The
legs, drawn backward, terminate in three toes, and the tail, slightly
bent to one side, is composed of several feathers.
[Illustration: FIG. 24.—Bird D. (Osborn collection.)]
[Illustration: FIG. 29.—Unidentified animal. Oldtown Ruin. (Osborn
collection.)]
The head is globular with two eyes on the back and a short pointed
beak. As in all other zoic figures the geometric figures on the back
of the body are the most characteristic. The middle of the body is
occupied by an oval design through which may be seen the perforation
with which the bowl was killed. At one end there is a triangular design
with cross lines which extend partly over the oval figure where, except
at one point, they are obscure.
Four quadrilateral designs are distributed at intervals around the
oval figure. Each of these has sides of about equal length and a dot
medially placed in a smaller figure contained in a larger.
_Bird E._—The bird shown in figure 25 (p. 35) from the Osborn ruin has
a body form not unlike that of plate 4, figure 1, but the geometric
design on the body, although rectangular, has incurved sides and is
covered with cross lines suggesting a net. Its neck is girt by four
rings, head small, without feathers, eye minute, bill comparatively
long and pointed recalling that of a snipe which is also suggested by
long legs and in a measure by the form of the tail.
This bird is undoubtedly aquatic, as indicated by the figure of a fish
which it appears to be on the point of capturing or devouring.
_Bird F._—The bird shown in plate 4, figure 2, is different from any
of the above and is distinguished readily by the four curved lines
on the head suggesting the quail. The pointed tail is marked above
and below with dentations, formed by a series of rectangular figures
which diminish in size from body attachment to tip. The body itself is
marked posteriorly with parallel lines, rectangular and curved figures
suggesting wings.
[Illustration: FIG. 26.—Bird G. Oldtown Ruin. (Osborn collection.)
Diam. 10″.]
The bowl (fig. 26) has three animals figured upon it forming a
graceful combination. The most striking represents a long-billed bird
with one wing notched on the inner margin. The tail of this bird is
differently drawn from any of the other birds in the collection and has
representations of six feathers. In front of this bird, with the point
of the snout at the tip of the bill of the bird, is a lizard-shaped
head covered with scales and two round eyes. The other remarkable
figure also has extended forelegs, but the body is so broken that
identification is quite impossible. Like the figure of the lizard, it
also has a lozenge head and two eyes. The geometrical designs on the
body are characteristic.