THE VASE OF CHAMA« 



By Eduard Selkr 



The beautiful vase of which Mr Dieseldorff was unfortunately not 

 able to send the society more than a drawing, which is reproduced in 

 plate VIII of the volume for 1894, was discussed in the last number 

 of the same volume by Mr E. Forstemann. To my mind it is not safe 

 to attempt special interpretations of complex representations of this 

 kind in which glyphs also play a part, when only a drawing and 

 not, at the very least, a photographic reproduction serves as a guide ; 

 for we know how even the master hand of a Catherwood and of the 

 artist w^hom Lord Kingsborough employed failed in the reproduction 

 of these intricate figures and symbols. I would, therefore, have 

 avoided any expression of my opinion as to the meaning of these rep- 

 resentations had I not observed that an incidental identification men- 

 tioned by Mr Dieseldorff in his description of the picture, and which 

 is certainly incorrect, has been used by Mr Forstemann as the princi- 

 pal argument to prove a certain point. 



Mr Dieseldorff'' says: "The chief priest, /, advancing from the 

 right, is painted black ... ; in his left hand he holds a jjainted fan- 

 like object, which I i-ecognize as the soj^lador, Avoven of palm leaves, 

 used in every household in this coimtry to kindle the fire, and which 

 I do not think was ever used for fanning, a custom unlcnown among 

 the Indians ". And similarly, in discussing the other figures, he 

 speaks of this implement as a " soplador ". But INIr Forstemann con- 

 cludes : ^ •' The implement held by persons, a, c. /, and g points to the 

 kindling of the new fire, and is most distinctly recognized by Mr 

 Dieseldorff as the soplador, or fire kindler. still in use " (see plate 



XLVIIl). 



It is certainly true that fans woven of strips of palm leaf are used 

 in Guatemala, as in many parts of tropical America, to kindle 

 and keep up the fire. Dieseldorff's statement that the Indians of the 



" Das Geflss von Chamd, Verhandlungen der Berliner tTCsellschaft fiir Anthropologic, 

 Ethnologic, and Urgeschichte, 1895, pp. 307 to 320, published in Zcltsehrift fiir Ethnologic, 

 1895, pts. 3-4. 



" Verhandlungen, v. I'G, 1894, p. 374. 



•• Verhandlungen, v. 2(), 1894, p. 574. 



651 



