180 



ANCIENT AKT OF THE PROVINCE OF CHlKiyU 



lost color group. Tlie space is neatly filled with groupings in 

 which the siniplp life coil elements are joined one to another in 



such a way as to giv.e somewhat tiic cft'ect of an ordinary running 

 ornament. The same motive takes a different form in Fig. 270, 

 which is part of the decorated zone of an earthen drum (see Fig. 

 a;55). Here the hody of the creature is represented by a wide me- 



ajidercd line, and t., this tlu- ii,,t,diedor s<-alloped li.xiks arc attached 



with prllV.-t iv-ldalitN. .„u- tn .•a,-li an-h' ..f tllr mrau.lriv.l body. 

 In other cxaniiilfs Ihr angular gvdini'tric- cliai'artri- cxti'iids to every 

 part of the detail and tlie curved hooks lose their last suggestion (jf 

 nature and are entirely dropped or used separately. 



The rings, sti'ukes. spots, and dentate figures that serve to repre- 

 sent till' iiiarkiii,i;s ami scales of the reptile are among the most im- 

 portant of the derivative devices and occur in varied relations to 

 other classes of derivatives. They also occur independently, either 

 singly or in groiipings. Thus we see that the alligator, in Chiriquian 

 vase painting, is represented by an endless list of devices, and it is 

 interesting to note that among these are several figures familiar to 

 the civilized world in both symbolism and ornament. 



I present five series of figures designed to illustrate the stages 

 through which life forms pass in descending from the realistic to 

 highly specialized conventional shapes. In the first series (Fig. 277), 

 we begin with a meager but graphic sketch of the alligator: the 



>/":;y£;<^ fy^ QjQ cvyp 



FiQ. 277. Series ot derivatives of tlie alligator showing stages of simplification. 



second figure is hardly less characteristic, but is niuch simplified: in 

 the third we have still three leading features of the creature: tlie 

 body line, the spots, and the stroke at the back of the head; and in 

 the foiirth nothing remains bvit a compound, yoke-like curve, stand- 

 ing for the body of the creature, and a single dot. 



The figures of the second series (Fig. 278) are nearly all ])ainted 

 upon low round nodes placed about the body of the alligator vases 

 and hence are inclosed in circles (see Fig. 197). The animal figure 



