seler] 



ANTIQUITIES OF GUATEMALA 



109 



the third volume of the Anales del Museo Nacional de Mexico, which 

 was found when digging the foundation for a new building in Puerto 

 Progreso, near Merida (a, figure 25). These pieces seem to have been 

 carried far to the north. In the Strebel collection is found the curious 

 specimen (5, figure 24), which comes from the region of Atotonilco and 

 Quimistlan, and also belongs to this class of vessels. Several face 

 jars with bearded faces were found in Yucatan. Maudslay copies a 

 similar glazed one from Copan. Entirely similar fragments of appar- 

 ently glazed vessels were found in the excavations made by Mr 

 Strebel at Zoncuautla in the district of Coatepec of the state of Vera 

 Cruz. 1 have hitherto been unable to determine what kind of glaze 

 is on these vessels, as rare and beautiful pieces were always concerned 

 which could not be sacrificed to chemical investigation. However, 

 there is hope that Mr Holmes, of Chicago," who at present is making a 



Fig. 25. Pottery vessels from Guatemala. 



special study of these vessels, will throw light on this question. The 

 broad geogl'aphic area within which these pieces are found proves that 

 in them we have to deal with ware which was distributed by trade. 

 Even to-day, isolated places of manufacture — as, for example, Chi- 

 nautla in Guatemala — provide the whole I'egion within a radius of many 

 days"' journe}^ with pottery wares. 



In ancient times beautifulf-pottery vessels were a much-prized ware. 

 Landa tells of the Ma3^as that custom required them at the close of a 

 feast to give to each guest a mantle, a carved stool, and a pottery 

 vessel, as delicate and costly as the host could afford. In the present 

 state of our knowledge it can not be stated in what region these glazed 

 vessels were made. Only so much can be said, that it must have been 

 a region of the tierra caliente, or lying very near it, where the tapir, 

 the parrot, the coati, the monkey, and the toad of the tierra caliente 



a Now of the Bureau of American Ethnology. Ed. 



