THE ALLIGATOR GROUP. 141 



canine teeth, and at the sides it is so cut as to leave free the arms that 

 are set akimbo. The whole evidently represents the jaguar-man or, to be more 

 exact, the jaguar-god (see also fig. 244). The two tripod supports in front are 

 alike, but differ in shape from the one behind. A similar somewhat smaller spec- 

 imen from Mercedes, Costa Rica, belongs to Mr. Minor C. Keith. 



Another vase not at all typical of this group is reproduced in figure d. The 

 life features in the round consist of a head with wide-open mouth, probably the 

 jaguar : below which is a semicircular apron-like pattern, a drooping tail and rather 

 long arms that hang free from the body, each hand resting on the base of a 

 tripod support. One arm is lost. Much of the paint has disappeared ; the highly 

 original design on the neck however is still practically complete. 



A thick-walled and thick-lipped bowl from Jacu (fig. e) is provided with an 

 annular base- the only example of this type in the group. The base and the 

 interior are painted red. The lip and outer surface of the body are finished in a 

 pale yellow slip. A series of dotted triangles, or scale-group symbols, in black 

 encircles the vessel. 



The form reproduced in figure / is unique. A small shallow cup with vertical 

 walls is supported by three grotesque half-human forms, whose feet rest on a 

 ring-shaped base and whose extended arms help to bear the weight of the cup. 

 Three panels decorated with alligator motives alternate with the heads of the 

 supporting figures. The kinship between this form and the so-called stools made 

 of stone (see PL IV), as well as modeled in clay (see PL XL VI), is striking, the 

 main difference being that the cup is replaced by a slightly concave seat plate. 



Another conception of the use of engaged, plastic life forms as supports for 

 vessels is illustrated in Plate XLII (fig. c). This vase is one of the gems of the 

 de Zeltner collection and was given to him by Senor Obaldia, formerly Vice-Presi- 

 dent of New Granada. It was first inadequately figured and described by de Zeltner l 

 and later mentioned by Holmes when describing a piece somewhat similar, though 

 neither so large nor so perfect. The Yale specimen is 39.3 centimeters long, 

 28.5 centimeters in height and 18.5 centimeters in breadth. 



The bottom is perfectly flat, in outline like an ellipse flattened a little at the 

 sides. The latter rise almost vertically to meet the flattened shoulders at an angle. 

 The neck is long, round in section and gracefully flaring. The supporting forms 

 at either end are apparently human and of the female sex. Their bodies are an 

 integral part of the body of the vase, the wall being pushed out to form a prom- 

 inent abdominal protuberance. The head, rising from the angle at the shoulder 

 and gently inclined forward, is crowned and hollow, the long transverse slit at 

 the top communicating with the interior of the vase. The features are all ren- 

 dered plastically and emphasized by paint. The outline of the rim of the ear is 

 characteristically human. The bulging eyes are protected by prominent brows. 

 The nose resembles the beak of a bird, which was the Chiriquian's favorite model 

 for the human nose, as noted on a preceding page. Some of the features are 

 seen to better advantage in figure 242. The parted lips, oval in outline, reveal 

 three long incisor teeth. The feet are three-toed and in the sole of each there 



1 Note sur les indiens du departement de Chiriqui, 8, 1866. 



