TERRA C'OTTA GROUP OF WAI 



75 



legs. Rarely we meet with compound or eccentric forms. An inter- 

 esting specimen of the latter class is seen in Fig. 88. Such shapes are 

 common in Peru and are occasionally met with in Central America. 

 The two strong handles are decorated with minute images of birds 

 and the bottom is concave, an exceptional character in Chiriquian 

 work. 



The illustration of this group of vessels would not be complete with- 

 out a series of tripod vases. In shape of body these vases differ but 

 little from the legless forms already given, excepting where the use 

 of life forms has led to eccentric modifications. Very great interest 

 attaches to the modeling of the tripod supports, upon which the pot- 

 ters have expended much time and ingenuity. 



The ilkistrations given herewith are chosen from a great number 

 of examples and are intended to convey an idea of the range of forms, 

 both of the vessels and of their supports. Figs. 89 and 90 show plain 

 forms of legs, all of which are hollow and contain small pellets of clay. 

 The openings are generally wide vertical slits, and are placed in front, 

 in Fig. 89, or in the side, as in Fig. 90; but in exceptional 



Vessels illustrating forms of legs 



Fig. 91. 

 Vessel with large legs orna- 

 1 en ted \yith stellar punct- 



cases they take other shapes and are scattered over the surface, as 

 seen in Fig. 91. The legs are often remarkable in form, being swollen 

 to an enormous size above and terminating in small rounded points 



Fig. 92. Vases of 



