ANCIENT POTTERV OF THE iSIISSISSIPPI VALLEY. 1 33 



of decorative ideas, the processes by which they are acquired by the 

 various arts, and their subsequent mutations of form and significance 

 are matters of the greatest interest, but the limit set for this paper 

 forbid their further discussion. A separate paper will be devoted to 

 their consideration. 



Classification of Forms. — Form cannnot be made a satisfactory 

 basis of classification, yet within a given group of pi^oducts, defined 

 by general characters, a classification by shape will be found to 

 facilitate description. In making such a classification we must dis- 

 tinguish essential from non-essential features, that is to say, for 

 example, that bowls must be placed with bowls, bottles with bottles, 

 etc., disregarding the various fanciful modifications given to rims, 

 necks, and bodies for the sake of embellishment. To recognize 

 these adventitious features, which are almost infinite in variety, 

 would be to greatly embarrass form classification. 



There is also another difficulty in the employment of form in 

 classification — the nomenclature is very imperfect. We cannot use 

 Greek names, as our forms correspond in a very few instances only 

 with the highly developed forms known to classic art. Our own 

 plain terms will be far better. 



If we take a full set of these primitive vessels and arrange them in 

 the order of increasing complexity we have an unbroken series 

 ranging from the simplest cup to the high-necked bottle with per- 

 forated stand or with tripod. A partial series is shown in Fig. i. 



Fig. I. — Scale of forms. 



A multitude of variations from these outlines are found, a few of 

 which are suggested in Fig. 2. 



^ o 



Fig. 2. — Additional forms. 



Compound and eccentric forms are given elsewhere. 



In deciding upon the order of arrangement for the various form 

 groups I shall be governed by what appears to be the natural order 

 of evolution — a progress from simple to complex. First we have 



