COLUMBIAN HISTORICAL EXPOSITION AT MADRID. 



351 



Fig. 32. 



BELL-SHAPED OBJECT. 



Nicaragua. 



Modeled heads of birds and animals, rather true to life, are luted to 

 t-he sides of the pottery. A few tazzas upon a rather high, cylindrical, 



flaring foot have the latter lightened and ornamented by triangular 



openings, 

 ^icaraguan polychrome ware is cleverly painted in conventional or 



geometric designs with fine frets and 



borders. These designs are perhaps 



reduced from animal forms, like those 



which Mr. Holmes has admirably 



traced out on the Chiriqui pottery. 1 

 The preponderance of animal and 



the absence of j)laut forms in all the 



Central and South American pottery 



is remarkable. The colors are a 



lively red, black, and cream, laid on 



very accurately, and were mineral 



earths mixed with water. The artist 



has lavished his highest skill upon 



the painting of the tripod tazzas, as 



he had in giving the form and model 

 ing, and the result is superior. 

 The almost universal globose and 



hemispherical bowl, which seems to have been the effort of the earliest 



potter, is common in Nicaragua. The bowl, mounted upon a bell-shaped 

 base, forms a piece having the appearance of the 

 Korean and early Japanese tazzas. The type 

 of vase is pear-shaped ( jicara form), mounted on 

 a flaring base, or sometimes on three short feet 

 (figs. 29, 30, and 31). The shallow plates, with 

 rim mounted .upon the grotesque legs, are the 

 best of the Nicaraguan ware. The curious sock- 

 shaped burial jars are also found in Nicaragua. 



Perhaps the most remarkable pieces of pot 

 tery from Nicaragua are the bell-shaped objects. 

 They are always in red, un slipped ware, deco 

 rated with applique bosses closely imitating the 

 old-fashioned bells. Their use is unknown. Dr. 

 Carlos Bovallius exhibited one of these curious 

 bells, which was found during his explorations 

 in Nicaragua in 1890. No. 182 (fig. 32) is a bell- 

 shaped tapadera or cover of black pottery. On 

 the apex is a figure of some animal, well modeled. 



In general appearance it resembles a miniature Alaskan hat. Fig. 32 a 



is a neatly made pottery whistle. 



Fig. 32. a 



POTTERY WHISTLE. 

 Nicaragua. 



Sixtli Annual Report Bureau of Ethnology, 1884-85, p. 171. 



