70 ISLAND riTLTURE AREA OF AMERICA [eth. ann. 34 



Plate 3, A, represents a small iiule pottery rest, of spool shape, 

 with flat base, very thick walls, smooth imdecorated surface, and 

 somewhat flaring rim. Its size suggests that it was once used as a 

 toy or as a ceremonial vessel, but it was more likely designed as a 

 support for a bowl. Some beautiful pottery rests from St. Vincent 

 are in the Heye collection, several of which, in a fragmentary condi- 

 tion, were obtained by the author at Balliceaux. The most elaborate 

 of these measures about G inches in height, is perforated on the sides, 

 and has a face in higli relief. 



The rectangular clay box shown in plate 3, B, has thick walls, a 

 flat bottom, and squatty legs continuous with the sides. Its longer 

 sides bear incised S figiu-es surrounded on three sides by a straight 

 furrow. The narrow sides of the vessel are ornamented with incised 

 crescents, also partly framed with straight lines. From the liroken 

 places at the two opposite shorter sides of the rim it would seem that 

 the vessel had been provided with handles, probably in the form of 

 heads, but it is also possible that a head may have been attached to 

 one side and a tail opposite, thus producing an effigy vessel. Rectan- 

 gular receptacles of this kind are rare in collections of West Indian 

 ])ottery — a fact which imparts special interest to this example. 



The object shown in plate 3, T, is a fragment of a bowl, shaped 

 like a turtle, with head and tail, and the left legs drawn up to the 

 side of the body. This interesting specimen is almost identi- 

 cal with the unbroken turtle effigy vase figured by Collens, to 

 which reference has already been made. Although nearly half of 

 this specimen is absent, enough remains to enable a determination of 

 its form and of the general character of the relief decoration, which 

 was no doubt identical on the two sides."" The head, which is not 

 attached directly to the rim of the vessel but to the upper side, is 

 rather long, with blunt snout, and mouth extending backward; the 

 nostrils are indicated by pits, the eyes by slits. The tail consists of 

 two buttons separated by grooves, and the fore and hind legs, with 

 no indication of flippers, are modeled close to the body. Like many 

 Antillean earthenware vessels, the walls are thick and the rim not 

 decorated. 



The vessel shown in plate 3, D, is also supposed to be a turtle effigy, 

 an almost featureless head being attached to the rim. Opposite 

 the head the rim is broken, indicating where there may have been 

 formerly an appendage representing the tail. This object is one of 

 the few whole specimens in the collection. 



™ Unlike the clay turtle figured by Collens. this specimen Iltr no raised rim :iliout the 

 base. Wo know from historical sources that the turtle played an important part in 

 Antillean mythology, which accounts for its frequent appearance on ceramic and other 

 objects. 



