II (A\-REPORT UPON THE SECTION OF AMERICAN ABORIGI- 

 NAL POTTERY OF THE U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM FOR 1884. 



By William H. Holmes, Honorari/ Curator. 



The greater part of the collection of aboriginal American i)ottery 

 bas been placed in the northwest coui't of the Museum. A preliminary 

 classification has been made, and as soon as the necessary cases are 

 completed a representative series will be placed on exhibition. 



The wall cases have been finished and are now occupied, chiefly, 

 by the very extensive collection of modern pueblo ware. The arrange- 

 ment is only temi)orary, however, as the final placing will not be at- 

 tempted until the more recent additions are catalogued. During the 

 year a large case ha^ been constructed for the center of the hall, and 

 I^laus have been made for a number of smaller cases for the floor. 



The year is remarkable fur the great number of additions to the col- 

 lection, upwards of ten thousand earthen vessels haWng been acquired 

 and entered upon the books. These have been obtained through pur- 

 chase, exchange, and donation, as well as through the various agents 

 of the Museum. 



The Bureau of Ethnology has oontributed upwards of six thousand 

 pieces. These comi)rise the collections of James Stevenson from the 

 modern pueblos ; of Victor Mindelefl", E. H. Nelson, and H. C. Yarrow, 

 from the ancient ruins of New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah, and of Dr. 

 Cyrus Tliomas, from the valley of the Mississippi. 



A small collection of interesting fragments from the shell moumls of 

 Maryland was donated by Mr. J. D. McGuire, and a number of fugitive 

 pieces have come from various Southern States. An addition to the 

 Mexican collection, consisting of about one hundred pieces, mostly in 

 a fragmentary state, has been acquired, by donation, from the writer. 



Perhaps the most unique and important acquisition of the year is 

 that of some three thousand vases from the ancient tombs of Cliiriqui, 

 State of Colombia. Tiiis collection was secured from J. C. McNeil, the 

 collector. An extremely valuable collection from Ancon, Peru, has 

 been secured through the agency of Dr. Wlliam II. Jones. 



In cataloguing and arranging the collection the curator has l)een as- 

 sisted by Mr. Henry Walt her and Mr. William II. Barbour. The ordinary 



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