FEWKEs] ORNAMENTATION Ob' LITTLE COLORADO POTTERY 



81 



also be appropriate on this small vase, but there is more likelihood 

 that the triangles in this instance are feather symbols. 



Insect Fioures 



In an account of the insects used in pottery decoration at Sik^yatki 

 attention was called to the use of the moth or butterfly and the 

 dragon fly. Botli of these forms occur on pottery from the ruins 

 along the Little Colorado, and their symbolism appears to be the 

 same in all the ruins in Arizona thus far studied. The butterfly is 

 commonlj' indicated by a triangular figure, which often becomes 

 highly conventionalized, as in plate xxv7j. 



F IG . 36. Vase with bird symbols, from Homolobi i number 15S8S0 1 . 



Arachnid Figures 



The spider plays an important part in Pueblo mythologj", and the 

 so-called Spider woman is often mentioned in connection with the Sun 

 and the war god. 



The design on the food Ixtwl from Homolobi shown in figure 37 

 represents a spider, and a figure of the sun on the outside of this 

 bowl recalls the legend of the Spider woman who married the Sun. 

 The association of these two symbols on an ancient vessel shows 

 the antiquity of this well-known legend. 

 22 ETH— 04 6 



