Juty, 1898. Ruins oF XKICHMOOK, YUCATAN—THOMPSON. 227 
and the work of painting must have been a very difficult art for the 
Mayan painter, as the task of copying was tedious and painful to the 
modern artist. In some cases the ceiling-surfaces were covered with 
' stucco and worked into panels adorned with scroll work in low relief. 
In these panels the artist then executed his designs in color. Many 
interesting paintings thus placed are hidden from view by opaque 
coatings of lime carbonate or gypsum deposited by percolating 
waters. 
Upon the ceiling stones of Chamber’ No. 11, to the east of the 
Palace stairway, portions of a painting were still in a measure pre- 
served, and these were carefully copied. (See Fig. 34.) A scaffolding of 
poles was built up to within a short distance from the figures and the 
copyist did his work in a prostrate position, resting upon his back. 
The colors used were brown and blue, but the blue had nearly dis- 
appeared. 
Upon the northern wall of Chamber No. 10, curious drawings or 
glyphs in strong black lines once existed. Figs. 35 and 36 show the 
portions still visible. The walls of the other chambers of the Palace 
were without traces of embellishment. 
‘Upon the middle ceiling stone of Chamber No. 4, in Edifice No. 4, 
we found a painted human figure of which only the flowing head- 
dress, a portion of the face, and certaim devices issuing from the 
mouth and probably indicating speech, now remain. 
The mysterious red hand was found printed upon the walls of 
the chambers in various places, and in one place, on the crumbling 
stucco surface of Chamber No. 1 of the Palace, a human hand in blue 
pigment was found. [ had become so accustomed to this seal of 
bloody possession in the color of-blood, that this specimen was a 
great surprise to me. The impression was so fresh and perfect in 
places that even the minute lines of the skin were visible. 
POTTERY. 
Numerous earthen vessels were recovered, some from graves but 
largely from sites of use. Vast quantities of sherds were encountered, 
and several barrels of them, selected at various points, were collected. 
A study of these has not yet been made. Examples of the vases are 
shown in Pls. XXI and XXII. 
