STUDIES ON MUSEUMS AND KINDRED INSTITUTIONS. 3v37 



It may be assumed with certainty that this nmseum will develop 

 during the twentieth centur}' into one of the foremost natural history 

 institutions of the world; and its president, Morris K. Jesup, under 

 whose personal, self-saeriticing," widely influential direction it has been 

 since 1881, is thereby setting up for himself a lasting monument.'^ 



</\ven an illustration in Plate II and plan on p. 335. It was described in Science, XI, 

 U»00, p. 20, by F. W. Putnam, the head of the department (and also director of the 

 Peabody Museum of Archeology in Cambridge, Massachusetts). He considers this the 

 most important collection in existence for the study of ancient Mexican and Central 

 American civilization. I present herewith an abstract of his description. 



Near the entrance the so-called "Great Turtle of Quiriqua" attracts attention. 

 Beside it stands the " Dwarf," the smallest of the stehe from the ruins of Quiriqua. 

 A cast of the largest of these monoliths, 2.5 feet high, is in the hall below. On the 

 right of the hall is a restoration of the sanctuary of the "Temple of the Cross," 

 in Palenque, showing the po.sition of the bas-relief known as the "Tablet of the 

 Cross," with the officiating priests and an hieroglyphic inscription. Attached is an 

 illustrated label explanatory of this temple. In the adjoining table case are several 

 pieces showing hieroglyphics and figures made in stucco, which was widely used. 

 The great "Calendar Stone," the most I'emarkable of ^Mexican sculptures, is on the 

 south wall. On the opposite side of the hall are many tine l)as-reliefs from ruins in 

 Guatemala, Honduras, Palenque, and Yucatan. Over a case at the east end of the 

 hall is a group of slabs from Palenque upon which are many columns of hieroglyphs. 

 Near by are casts of slabs from the ruins of Chichen Itza in Yucatan, also sculptured 

 stone posts of a doorway, upon which rests a carved wooden lintel. To the right of 

 this is shown the sculptured wall of a portion of a room in a temple at Chichen Itza, 

 on which are many human figures and a feathered serpent. There is evidence that 

 this and many of the other sculptures were formerly painted in several colors, of 

 which red, yellow, and blue predominated, as, for instance, the statue of Chac-]Mools 

 from Chichen Itza. 



There are also on exhibition Tarascan terra cotta figures and stone sculptures, 

 original sculptures in stone from Copan and Yucatan, pottery from the ruins of Casas 

 (irandes, illustrating a culture approaching that of the ancient Pue])lo people of 

 Arizona and New Mexico; and also jadeite ornaments, copper implements and orna- 

 ments, carved stone yokes, a large terra cotta human figure, and pottery vessels of 

 many forms, all illustrative of the cultureof several of the ancient Mexican peoples. 

 There are collections made by Doctor Seler in Mexico and Guatemala, and valuable 

 ter.a cotta figures found in a mound at Xoxo, a cast of the inscribed stone lintel of 

 the door of this tomb, and many vessels and skeletons. Finally, in a center case 

 are various facsimiles of Mexican and Maya manuscripts in European collections. 

 Compare also Ehrenreich's statements of the year 1898, regarding this department of 

 the New York Museum in Zeitschri/t fur Etlwolocjie, 1900, pages 4-8, with three 

 figures. ( See also, opening of the anthropological collection in the American Museum 

 of Natural History, Science, 1900, pp. 720-722.— 1903. ) 



«In the year 1899 alone, INIr. Jesup gave $30,000 to the museum. In the course 

 of almost twenty years, during which he has officiated as president, he has expended 

 enormous sums on it. The Berlin (Teographical Society recently made him an 

 honorary member in recognition of his services for the advancement of the sciences, 

 lie is at the same time still actively engaged in the l)anking business. 



''In conclusion, let me add a few more detailed remarks: 



The orientation of the entire building would have been more favorable if its diago- 

 nal had been turned on its central ])oint about 11 degrees, so that the facade, now 

 completed, would face toward the southwest instead of toward the south-southwest. 

 NAT MLS 1903 -2 



