SPURIOUS MEXICAN ANTIQUITIES. 



323 



Vases of a variety much affected at the period of my visit by leading 

 makers at San Jiiaii Teotihnacau consist of an upright cylindrical body 

 mounted upon three legs and surmounted b^' a conical lid. They are 

 modeled without a wheel, in darkclay,and bristle witha superabundance 

 of lignres in high relief which give a castellated effect. Plain or flat por- 

 tions of the surface are rudely polished and are generally well covered 

 with incised or indented ornaments. This ware may be purchased 

 at any of the relic shops iu the City of Mexico, but can be had at much 

 lower rates at San Juan. In passing back and forth by rail, I found 

 that each train was met at San Juan by one or more of the venders, who 

 were careful to expose but a limited number of pieces. Wishing to 

 secure au example, I waited until the train was moving oft", when I held 

 out a silver dolhir and the vase sliown iu Fig. 1 was quickly in my pos- 

 session. The price asked at San Juan was $5, and in the City of Mexico 



Fig. 1.— Dark Vcase with lid, made at San Juan Teotibnacan; height, 11 inches. 



it would have been three times that amount. The dealers do not hesi- 

 tate to assign definite localities to the "relics" and to give circumstan- 

 tial accounts of their discovery, notwithstanding the fact that no such 

 ware is ever found in the locality. One of the National Museum jneces 

 is said to have been discovered by workmen in digging a well, 52 feet be- 



