478 



REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1896. 



not pretend to any special knowledge on tliis subject, but believes that 

 a comparison between these two groups will show the correctness of 

 these conclusions. 



The next to be noticed are from the same general locality, and are 

 what have been called "efflgy bottles." Professor Holmes ^ makes the 

 following observations concerning them: 



These iiborigiual potters dealt with the hnuian figure in a hold maimer for savages. 



They Avere evidently capable of representing many creatures with accuracy, hut 



preferred grotesque or con- 

 ventional forms. A man or 

 a woman is generally mod- 

 eled with a largo body and 

 a curious hunched back, 

 the vertebne appearing 

 .ilong the jjrominent ridge. 

 'I he shoulder blades are 

 usually shown Avith unato- 

 niic distinctness, if not 

 with jirecision; the arms 

 are long and slender, and 

 the hands rest upon the 

 knees or sides. The posi- 

 tion assumed is mostly 

 that of kneeling or squat- 

 ting, the feet being doubled 

 up beneath and united 

 with the bottom of the ves- 

 sel. These effigy vases are 

 numerous and greatly vary 

 in size and color. They 

 are mostly of the dark red, 

 or in red and AA'hite figures, 

 some of which represent 

 parts of the costume, others 

 emblematic devices. * * * 

 The knees, calves, ankles, 



and various parts of the feet are indicated wi±h an approach to accuracy. The 



bottom of the vessels are flat, so as to enable them to stand alone, and the legs 



modeled in low relief are shown thereon.^ 



Fig. 121) represents an effigy vase from Arkansas. The general posi- 

 tion of the body will be understood by an inspection of the ligure. The 

 mouth of the bottle is at the back of the head. One is to remark the 

 peculiar representation of the face and features, and their similarity 

 with some of those already described. The head is thrown back as in 

 the foregoing, the chin is in air, while the features, nose, eyes, and 

 mouth are much the same. Fig. 130 represents another effigy bottle, 

 also from Arkansas, bearing the same peculiarities. Both these 

 have the retreating forehead, the round face, broad and high cheek 

 bones, the framing of hair around the edge of the forehead— in fact 

 so great a similarity in all these little things as to indicate the same 



Pig. 128. 



HEAD-SHAPED A'ASE. 



Pecan Point, Arkansas. 



Cast, Cat. No. S77-.il, U.S.N.M. Holmes, Fom-th Ann. Rejit. Bur. Etbuol., I882-S3, 

 p. 410, fig. 424. f n.atural size. 



1 Fourth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology, 1882-83, p. 423. 

 -Idem., fig. 453, a, h, c, p. 425. 



