IN ANCIENT AMERICAN ART. 163 



fish to his purposes, gave way to his fancy and added to 

 his art that of the sculptor. 



On Plates IV-VII, are shown this series of feet from 

 tripods, illustrating the different ways in which this prim- 

 itive conception became conventionalized by the prehis- 

 toric people of Chiriqui, who carved in stone as well as in 

 clay, and who were also remarkable for their work in 

 copper and gold, in which materials their realistic and con- 

 ventional art followed a course similar to that shown in 

 their pottery. 



Plate IV. Figure 1 is a plain foot of a tripod and shows 

 the adaptability of this form to the essential external char- 

 acters of a fish. 



Figure 2 is a rudely realistic representation of a fish, 

 with mouth, eyes, two dorsal fins, and the pectoral and 

 ventral fins on the sides. All are in approximately natural 

 positions, while the caudal fin is represented as an horizon- 

 tal instead of a vertical termination of the body. The 

 manner in which the several features are here shown nrust 

 be kept in mind as we follow out the series, particularly 

 the central indentures in the small oval pieces of clay rep- 

 resenting the eyes, and the incised lines running from the 

 body on the bits of clay which indicate the dorsal and 

 paired fins, although these details are sometimes omitted. 



In figure 3 the ventral fins are not represented, while the 

 pectoral, dorsal, and caudal fins are shown nearly as in 

 figure 2, except that the pectorals are placed close to the 

 mouth. In the raised bands representing the upper jaw, 

 the outline of the mouth is retained as in figure 2 ; but 

 here artistic license comes into play, and the lower jaw is 

 brought up to a level with the upper, and as the whole 

 space allowed for representing the head is thus disposed 

 of, the eyes are placed forward of the mouth, at a point 

 where this foot joins the body of the vessel. 



ESSEX INST. BULLETIN, VOL. XVIIU 21 



