SMITHSONIAN ARCHAEOLOGICAL COLLECTION. 



83 



is concerned, might readily be taken for a vessel of Etruscan or Greek origin. 

 The peculiar ornamentation, however, stamps it at once as a Mexican product 

 of art. The vessel may be compared to a pitcher with two handles standing 

 opposite each other, and with two mouths projecting between them. The 

 handles divide the vase into two halves ornamented nearly alike. Each handle 

 is formed by two snakes, crossing their tails and resting their heads on the 

 rim, and the flat base of the vessel is moulded in the shape of a coiled serpent. 

 A large human head with a prominent chin and protruding tongue, wearing a 

 curious crescent-shaped head-dress with long lateral appendages, constitutes 

 the central figure of each side of the vase. To the right and left of this large 

 head are lizard-like designs, and next to them near the handles, figures of 

 women. On each side of the head-dress surmounting the large head appear 

 three figures, one lizard-shaped, the other in the form of a human head, and the 

 third in that of a crescent-shaped tab 

 let bearing, it has been thought, hie 

 roglyphic signs. The four tablets, it 

 should be stated, exhibit the same char 

 acters (Fig. 300, natural size). The 

 lizard-like figure also appears below the 

 termination of each mouth. Beneath 

 each handle the vase bears the moulding 

 of a male figure, and the outer curve of 

 the handles shows, between the bodies 

 of the snakes, the relief design of a fish. 



TABLET (}). 



The lizard-like figure is seen again 



on each side of the rim between the serpents heads. The circumference of 

 the vase exhibits, immediately above the coiled snake forming its base, ten 

 human heads wearing elaborate head-dresses (like all imitations of the human 

 head on this vase), and an eleventh figure of indistinct character, perhaps in 

 tended for a hieroglyphical tablet. This remarkable vase is fourteen inches 

 and a quarter in height, and coated with black paint, like the specimen previ 

 ously described. 



Another beautiful Mexican vase of somewhat globular shape (Fig. 301) is 

 remarkable for its elaborate raised ornamentation, which consists of four 

 entwined snakes and four masks placed at cqiial distances from each other. 

 The vessel stands on three feet presenting beautifully executed eagles heads. 

 The color of the vase is a light reddish-brown. 



There are in the collection many small Mexican vessels, a full description of 

 Avhich would exceed the limits of this account. We only notice among them 

 a small vessel tapering to a point at the lower extremity, reminding one of 

 similar productions of ancient Roman art (Fig. 302, Tezcuco), and to a well- 

 shaped goblet of red ware, derived from Sacrificios Island, nearly opposite 

 VeraCruz (Fig. 303). 



Having treated of North American clay vessels, we have to notice the fab- 



