222 



A STUDY OF CHIRIQUIAN ANTIQUITIES. 



off and afterwards mended, as is indicated by a carefully drilled hole through 

 the foot and another through the bar directly underneath. This is the figurine 



in the hollow head of which the resin plug 

 is still retained ; it is of special interest in 

 throwing light on the process of casting. In 

 figure 376, reproducing a jaguar-god also from 

 Rio General, it is quite evident that the bar 

 and its curved extensions represent the mul- 

 tiple alligator motive, each head being dif- 

 ferentiated. The spines on the common body 

 are placed ventrally, as in the preceding 

 figure. The bar with the alligator heads at 

 the feet is entirely wanting in this example, 

 which should be compared with two images 

 reproduced by Liiders. 1 



A third jaguar-god in the Keith collection 

 (fig. 377) is from Mercedes on the Atlantic 

 side of Costa Rica. The treatment is similar 

 to that in the preceding figure, except that 

 a rattle resembling a dumb-bell is held in 

 each hand ; and instead of the horizontal bar 

 representing a body common to the two con- 

 ventionalized alligator heads, the two bodies 

 are set like horns in the head of the jaguar- 

 god. In both figurines however the alligator motive is alike, in that the spines 

 and scales are placed ventrally instead of dorsally. In figure 375, the same result 



Fig. 375. Gold image of the jaguar-god, the 

 perforated bars at the head and feet being 

 alligator motives ; from the Huacal de los 

 Reyes, Rio General, Costa Rica. Keith col- 

 lection. V< 



Fig. 376. Gold figurine representing the jaguar-god 

 with an alligator motive serving as head-dress ; from 

 Rio General, Costa Rica. Keith collection. '/ 



Fig. 377- Gold figure of the jaguar-god, with 

 the alligator motive serving as head-dress ; from 

 Mercedes, Costa Rica. Keith collection, '/i 



was arrived at by means of a row of triangular perforations. The three figures 

 taken together furnish the key to the meaning of the bars that form the head- 



1 Op. cit, Taf. II, Abb. 4, 5. 



