FIRK AS AN AGENT IN HUMAN CULTURE 135 



Stone Itasins borne by animal or human figures placed at shrines or sacred 

 locations. (Chiapas, Yucatan, Mexico; Costa Rica; Honduras; and Guate- 

 mala.; 



Circular stones on short pediments or caryatides; "altars" of slirines, in 

 temples, (Yucatan and Honduras.) 



(c) Large pottery vessels of hourglass shape ornamented with masks, bands, 

 knots, knobs, and spurs, and painted in colors. Placed as the stone braziers 

 before temples or at shrines. Essentially Nahuatl. (Nahuatl, Mexico; Guate- 

 mala; Costa Rica.) 



II. Special. 



1. Portable 



(a) Braziers of small size used in dwellings. Of various forms. (Mexico.) 



(b) Tripod censers consisting of a bowl mounted on three splayed feet, preserv- 

 ing in general the hourglass form. Set on the ground. (Southern Mexico; 

 Costa Rica.) 



(c) Bowl censers bearing a mask and other rudiments of human or animal 

 forms, as in the monolithic braziers. (See I, b.) (Chiapas and Yucatan, Mexico; 

 Guatemala; Costa Rica.) 



2. Gesture Censers 



(a) Flaring bowls with rudimentary handle and spurs representing other feet 

 of tripod. (Oaxaca, Mexico.) 



(b) Openwork pottery tripod vessel, one leg of which is extended to form a 

 handle. Rattle feet. (Zapotec area, southern Mexico.) 



(c) Spoon with truncated handle. Ventilation holes in bowl. Rude. (Zapo- 

 tec area, southern Mexico.) 



Small spoons with conventional animal handle. (Southern Mexico; Costa 

 Rica.) 



(d) Incense ladle consisting of a bowl ventilated with openwork pattern and 

 having a long, hollow handle containing rattles and terminating in a serpent or 

 other head. Nahuatl form. (Central Mexico.) 



(e) Tublar pipes for incensing the esoteric beings and cardinal points. Pipes 

 in general cult uses. (Ancient and modern Pueblos and other Indians, also 

 northern Mexico and other Mexican localities.) 



(/) Cigarettes. (Mexico and ancient Pueblos.) 



3. Swinging Censers 

 (a) Censers introduced from Europe, Accultural. (Chiapas specimen.) 



III. Commujial or General, 



Stationary 



(a) The great masonry braziers located before shrines about the teocaUis, and 

 at various other sacrificial spots where perpetual fires were maintained and offer- 

 ings consumed were not strictly incense burners, though so treated at times. 

 UsuaUy upon them living victims were immolated, and it was the custom to 

 throw into the brazier fire the ashes and unconsumed incense from the portable 

 censers, together with the paraphernalia and offerings which have been employed 

 in ceremonies. The brazier was the source from which live coals were taken to 

 ignite the incense in the hand censers. 



The offering of incense is almost universal. Tribes which have 

 reached a stage where recurrent rites are observed, and where cere- 



