HOLMES] BOTTLES AND COMPOUND FORMS 93 



most expanded part of the body is encircled b^- an incised pattern con- 

 sisting- of five sets of partially interlocked scrolls. 



A step in differentiation of form is illustrated in the vessels pre- 

 sented in plate xv. A flat bottom would ser\e to keep a tall bottle 

 in an upright position on a hard, level floor, but a ring' was still better, 

 and could be added without deformation of the vessel. Annular bands 

 of varying heights and shapes were used, several forms ))eing illus- 

 trated in this plate. 



The tripod afforded even better support tlian the ring, and had come 

 into comnion use with these people; four legs, in imitation of the legs of 

 quadrupeds, were occasionally employed. The form of these supports 

 is extremely varied, and some of the more usual types are illustrated in 

 plate XYi. The first, cv, is a large-necked, rather clumsy vessel of 

 ordinar}' workmanship, which rests on three globular legs. These are 

 hollow, and the cavities connect with that of the bod_v of the vessel. The 

 whole surface is well polished and dark in color. 



The vessel depicted in J> has a number of noteworthy features. It 

 resembles the preceding in shape with the exception of the legs, which 

 are flat, and have stepped or terraced margins. The whole surface of 

 the vessel is a warm gray, and is decorated with characteristic designs 

 in red and white. A stepped figure encircles the neck, and semicircu- 

 lar figures in white appear on opposite sides at the top and liase. The 

 body is covered with scroll work in broad, red lines, the spaces being 

 tilled in with white. Each leg is half red and half white. The bottle 

 c is from Missouri, and is of the plain dark ware. The specimen 

 shown in d is finished in plain red. 



For the purpose of conveying an idea of the great ^'ariety of shape 

 characterizing the simple bottles of this group and the boldness of 

 the painted decoration the series presented in plate xvii have been 

 assembled. The four pieces in the first group are of the plain, dark 

 ware and have annular bases. Those of the second group are supported 

 on tripods; the series beneath shows variations in the form of the body; 

 and the specimens in the third line illustrate the use of designs in 

 white, red. and black. 



ECCENTRIC AND COMPOUND FORMS 



Three vessels are shown in plate xviii <i. li, and <• which in form 

 I'esemble the common teapot. The specimen shown in h is well made 

 and carefulh' finished. A spout is placed on one side of the hodj and 

 a low knob on the other. The latter is not a handle but represents, 

 rather, the head of an animal. These characters are repeated in 

 most of the specimens of this type that have come to my notice. Two 

 small circular depressions occur on the sides of the vessel alternating 

 with the spout and the knob, and these four features form centei's 

 about which are traced four volutes connecting around the vessel. In 



