APPENDIX. 



329 



ornamentation, generally can be distinguished without much difficulty from the 

 ancient ceramic manufactures found in other parts of America. They often 

 moulded their vessels in the form of the quadrupeds, birds, fishes, etc., of their 

 country, or of human heads or entire human figures with various attributes, 

 sometimes of unintelligible character. Indeed, it would be impossible to exhaust 

 in a few words the range of conceptions expressed in their ceramic works. 

 Figures of the character j ust alluded to also appear as the decorations of their 

 more simple vessels, and these ornaments are either painted or worked in a kind 

 of relief, their contour being brought out by the removal of the surrounding 

 portion of the surface. Peruvian clay vessels imitating the form of a fish aro 

 not rare, and nearly every work treating of the antiquities of Peru refers to 

 them. A fine fish-shaped vessel is figured on Plate XIII of the "Antiguedades 

 Peruanas" by M. E. Rivero and J. J. von Tschudi (Vienna, 1851), and one of 

 similar, though somewhat simpler, form is pi-eserved in the United States 

 National Museum. 



Fig. 390.— Fish-shaped clay vessel. Peru. (5341). 



Fig. 390 represents it. The longitudinal axis measures a trifle more than 

 ten inches, while the transverse middle diameter is only six inches in length. 

 The two strongly bulging sides forming the fish-figure meet above and below 

 under an obtuse angle, forming a blunt edge or ridge, which is interrupted by 

 the neck and a flattish bottom, barely permitting the vessel to stand. It is coated 

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