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PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



VOL. 42. 



square cut in the upper surface wliich shows erosion as by fire, and 

 it is thought that the specimen is a brazier such as Sahagun de- 

 scribes. A glyph resembUng a conch shell is repeated around the 

 periphery, between the upper and lower bordering bands, wliich are 

 decorated with a textile design representing a braided band. The 

 brazier is from Mexico and was collected by W. W. Blake. Diame- 

 ter, 15^ inches; height, 10 

 inches. (Ace. 17619, Orig. 

 No. 126.) .(PL 3 a.) 



A perfect example of the 

 ancient stone brazier (fig. 1) 

 was brought to fight a few 

 years ago during the exca- 

 vations by the Mexican Gov- 

 ernment at Teotihuacan.^ It 

 was found on the upper hori- 

 zontal plane of the central 

 three-story temple at the base 

 of the great Pyramid of the 

 Sun and consists of a mono- 

 lithic sculpture of hourglass 

 shape set on a base of three 

 courses of squared stone. 

 With it were found two sculp- 

 tured tablets and two dados. 

 The brazier bears around the 

 middle a band terminating 

 on opposite sides in a com- 

 plicated knot which hangs 

 down, to the base, the lappets 

 below the tie corresponding 

 to the four ends of 'the band. 

 The knots bear signs con- 

 sisting of disks, bars, and a figure 8, Uke the twisted bread offering 

 made to Ciuapipiltin,^ the signs differing sfightly on the two knots. 

 (Fig. 1, a, h.) The tablets and dados are stated to bear a like 

 symbofism. The form of the brazier described appears to be quite 

 constant in the Nahuatl area and was carried wherever that influence 

 went. The conception would seem to be that of the human form, 

 which is more apparent in the pottery vessels of this class, to be noted 

 later, offering more latitude to the sculptor than hard stone. 



A specimen in form of an hourglass, of greenstone, having a band 

 of cords around the middle and animal heads projecting on opposite 



Fig. 1.— Monolithic brazier, Teotihuacan. (a) and 

 (6), Designs on sculptured knots. 



1 Batres, Teotihuacan. Mexico, 1906, p. 25. 



* Sahagun, work cited, p. 20. 



