ir)6 ANCIENT ART OF THE PROVINCE OK CHIRIyUI. 



tire not carried out in a very consistent manner, as the ai'ms and legs 

 of the figures become confiised with the rei)tiles and are as likely to 

 terminate in a snake's head as in a hand or foot. The rudely shaped 

 bodies are covered with indented circlets or with short incised lines. 

 The material, color, and finish are as usual. The height is four and 

 one-half inches and 1hc -lianichM- ..f tin- tablet tm inches. 



There are a.lililiMnnl speciiiiens in tlie National Museiini. In one 

 case, the lai'yest specimen of tlie series, tiie tablet is su2)ported by 

 five upright female human figures and the margin is encircled by a 

 cornice of forty-si.x neatly modeled reptilian heads. A small example 

 differs considi-rably in eeneral shape from those illustrated, the base 

 being much smaller than the eirci;lar tablet. The suppoi't in,i;- tii^-iires 

 are two rudely modeleil ocelots and two monkey-like ti,e-uivs. all of 

 which are placed in an inverted position. Similar objects are ob- 

 tained from the neighboring states of Central and South America. 



MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. 



Something is already known of the musical instruments of the 

 ancient Chiriquians through fugitive specimens that have found their 

 way into collections in all parts of Et;rope and America. The testi- 

 mony of the earthen relics — for no others are preserved to us — goes 

 to show that the art of music was, in its rude way, very assiduously 

 pi'acticed, and that it probably constituted with these, as with most 

 primitive communities, a serious and important feature in the various 

 ceremonial exercises. Clay is naturally limited to the production of 

 a small percentage of the musical insti'uments of any people, the 

 various forms of woody growths being better adapted to their manu- 

 facti;re. We have examples of both instruments of percussion and 

 Avind iiist)-uments, the former class embracing drums and rattles and 

 the latter w histles and clarionette-like pipes. 



Baffles. — Besides the ordinary rattles attached to and forming 

 parts of vessels, as already described, there are a number of small 

 pieces that seem to have served exclusively as rattles, while some 

 are rattle and whistle combined in one piece. In no case, however, 

 would they seem to the unscientific observer to be more than mere 

 toys, as they are of small size and the sounds emitted are too weak 

 to be percejatible at any considerable distance. At the same time it 

 is true that they may have had ceremonial offices of no little conse- 

 quence to the primitive priesthood. The simple rattles are shaped 

 like gourds, the liody being globular and the neck or handle long and 

 straight. Like the wares already described, they are ."mished and 

 decorated, the majority belonging to the lost color group. The length 

 varies from three to six or seven inches. A number of minute slit- 

 like orifices or perforations for the emission of the sound occur about 

 the upper part of the body (Fig. 23-3). A septum is placed in the lower 

 part of the neck, so that the handle, which is hollow and open at the 



