THE SALMON-COLORED SUB-GROUP. 



71 



ig. 115. Cup with froglike 

 figure serving as handle. 

 Armadillo ware. '/' 



while the capacity of the largest vases in the armadillo group exceeds 6000 cubic 

 centimeters. The largest of the Chiriquian vases, however, belong to the so-called 

 polychrome group, one vase in the Yale collection holding twelve liters (see fig. 257). 

 The single handle is usually a vertical loop connecting shoulder with rim and 

 so altered by the application of plastic features as to suggest some animal form 

 (figs. 108-115). Those in figures 109 and 110 are probably human. More often 

 a single effigy, human or otherwise, attached to the shoulder of the cup takes 

 the place of a handle (figs. 111-115). The human effigy in figure 111 is a 

 striking example of the ancient potter's sense of humor and his skill in giving 

 material expression to the same. The figure sits with elbows on knees. The 

 right hand, raised to the nose, 

 partially obscures abroad smile; 

 while the left rests on the rim 

 of the cup. The cone-shaped 

 hat, with four nodes grouped 

 about the apex and secured by 

 a fillet that passes beneath the 

 chin, scarcely hides a short 

 " pig-tail '' behind. The conical 

 head-dress may be also seen in . 



* Fig. 114. Cup with human effigy 



figure 112 (as well as in the for handle. Armadillo ware. '/ 



handled ware). In the former, 



both hands are held to an abnormally long nose that might well be styled 

 a proboscis. A similar feature is shown in figure 113, but the cone-shaped hat is 

 wanting. These are comparable to the god with a long proboscis illustrated in 

 ancient Mayan codices. 



THE SALMON-COLORED SUB-GROUP. 



There is a variety of armadillo ware, usually highly polished and with a salmon- 

 colored slip, the form and technique exhibited in it also differing somewhat from 

 the ordinary biscuit pottery. Some characteristic examples of this variety are 

 brought together in Plate XVI. Mention has already been made of the armadillo 

 represented as rolled up for defense or repose. The head projecting from the 

 shoulder of a salmon-colored vase (fig. a) and encircled by two incised fillets may 

 be, perhaps, a conventionalized rendering of the same idea. This might be taken 

 with propriety for a coiled serpent, were it not for the fact that representations of 

 the serpent on Chiriquian pottery are almost wholly confined to one small group, the 

 so-called black incised ware of Holmes, where the serpent motive is so all-pervading 

 as to justify a change of the name from " black incised " to the serpent group. 



Two vases of unusual shape should be described in this connection. The 

 broken one is illustrated (fig. b) instead of the complete one, because of its being 

 the more eccentric in form. While the greatest diameter is twenty-six centimeters, the 

 height to the mouth opening is only eleven centimeters. The latter is oval in shape 

 and so small as to admit only two fingers. The specimen not figured is higher 

 and has a somewhat larger mouth opening, but its greatest diameter is less ; the 

 handles, also, are not so conspicuous as in the one figured. Each handle is 



