DESCRIPTION OF POT-SHAPED VESSELS. 



393 



Material, etc. — As a rule, pot-shaped vessels are of coarser ma- 

 terials and of ruder finish than other forms, indicating, perhaps, their 

 exclusive relegation to the culinary arts, where nice finish was not es- 

 sential. In main* cases they show use over fire. 



In size, they have a wide range. The larger are often as much as 

 fifteen inches in diameter, and twenty in height. Tbere are a score or 

 more of very large size in the Davenport museum. 



Form. — The form characteristics are a full globular body — sometimes 

 elongated, sometimes compressed vertically — a low neck, and a wide 

 aperture. The bottom is very generally rounded. A few of the form 

 modifications are shown in Fig. 392. The rim or neck is always short. 



Fig. 392.— Forms of pots. 



and is upright or slightly recurved. Many vessels resembling the shapes 

 here presented are placed with the succeeding group, as they appear to 

 be functionally distinct from this. There are no examples with legs or 

 stands. 



Handles. — Looped handles are confined almost wholly to this class 

 of vessels. They are generally ranged about the rim or neck. In a ma- 

 jority of cases there are four handles to a vessel. We rarely find less 

 than that number, but often more. It is a usual thing to see fifteen or 

 twenty handles set about the rim. Originally the handles may have 

 been exclusively functional in character; they were so at least in ante- 

 cedent forms. These potters have certainly, at times, employed them 

 for purposes of embellishment. In some cases they are too fragile for 

 use, in others they are flattened out against the neck of the vessel and 

 united with it throughout their whole length. Again, they have degen- 

 erated into mere ridges, notched and otherwise modified to suit the fancy. 

 In many instances their place is taken by incised lines or indentations 

 which form effective and appropriate ornamental figures. A series of 

 vessels showing gradations from perfect handles to their atrophied rep- 

 resentatives is shown in Fig'. 393. 



Fig. 393.— Handles. 



Origin of Handles. — Handles were doubtless originally attached 

 to facilitate the suspension and handling of vessels and other articles. 

 They probably had their typical development in basketry, and there 



