COLUMBIAN HISTORICAL EXPOSITION AT MADRID. 345 



Stamps were freely used, and many fine examples of cylindrical stamps 

 to be rolled on the clay, like the Assyrian seals, have been found. There 

 are also flat, round, and oval stamps with handles. 



The majority of the pieces are painted in the usual red, white, and 

 black pigments of the primitive artist. In Mexico for the first time 

 appears a green, color on pottery. A number of Tarasco vases are 

 painted with superposed colors, as green on red, and the latter on paste 

 color, yellow on red, or green on yellow on red. If this green is the cop 

 per pigment used by the Zuiii and Moki it must have been applied on 

 the baked ware, as it would burn black. There are a number of affini 

 ties between the Mexican ware and the ware of the Pueblos of the 

 United States, of which Dr. Fewkes made a study. 



The designs are animal or symbolic, and perhaps the colors are also 

 symbolic, and no botanical patterns are found. 



There is a great variety of forms of vessels, from domestic plates, 

 bowls, jars, bottles, etc., to the complex cult vases, funerary urns, etc., 

 which are familiar. 



The form of the jicara fruit was observed among the Tecos. There 

 is a tendency to angularity in some of the vases, which shows that they 

 were made in sections. The Zapotecs seem to have excelled in the 

 manufacture of the complicated vases. In the Spanish section a 

 very interesting case of archaeological frauds from Mexico was exhib 

 ited, and in it were many grotesque vases. For many years these 

 frauds have been cunningly made to deceive travelers, so that a Mexi 

 can grotesque vase or other archaeological object requires careful 

 authentication. 



Vessels with rattles in the feet are frequent in Mexico. 



Small figurines are very numerous and give a distinctive character 

 to Mexican pottery. The finest figures come from the Nahua area. 

 The Zapotec masks are very good. 



Pipes of pottery appear in Mexico for the first time. In the Troano 

 manuscript some of the figures are represented smoking the tubular 

 cigar-holder type of pipe of the Zuni, Hupa, and other tribes of the 

 United States. 



Censers like those of Costa Eica in the shape of a ladle are found in 

 the Tarasco area. There is a number of musical instruments in shell 

 and other forms. One of these from the Tarascos gives the eight notes 

 of the diatonic scale. Pottery animal fetiches like those of the Zuiii 

 and Moki are found among the Tecos. 



It is hoped that Dr. Troncoso will soon publish an account of the 

 splendid antiquities now in the Mexican National Museum. 



THE POTTERY OF COSTA RICA. 



Perhaps the largest and most complete archaeological collection exhib 

 ited in Madrid was that of Costa Eica. There were several thousand 

 pieces of pottery, arranged in the following classes : Pans, cooking 



