FEWKES] THE RUIN, SIKYATKI 241 
illustrated in figures 7 to vw. There is reason to believe that of these 
o-r represent feathers, but a definite identification can not yet be 
made of figures s—u. 
Two triangular designs, one above another, are 
believed to represent feathers, but are rarely found 
on ancient Hopi pottery. They appear on the 
heads of birds in Acoma, Laguna, and other 
pottery designs, which are the nearest modern representatives 
of ancient Hopi decorations. 
A unique feather symbol from Sikyathki 
is characterized by a cigar-shaped body out- 
0? lined at the distal end, which is plain (fig. 59). 
There often occurs on Sikyatki pottery a 
combination of feather designs, generally 
three, with other symbols. One form of these (fig. 60) has four 
curved tail feathers. Other feathers of aberrant shape are shown 
in figure 61, a-e. 
FEATHERS SUSPENDED FROM STRINGS 
In their ceremonies the modern Hopi priests 
a 
d 
Fie. 59.—Feathers. 
Fic. 60.—Curyed feathers. 
use in great numbers a kind of prayer offer- 
ing called nakwakwoci, consisting of breast 
feathers tied in a prescribed way to the ends 
of strings. The same type of prayer offerings 
=o 
is one of the most common designs on Sikyatki & 
pottery. Various modifications of it are shown 
in the accompanying illustration (fig. 62). 
This use of the feather string as a decora- 
d 
F 
tive device is seemingly peculiar to prehistoric 
Hopi pottery, not having been found in the pic- 
tography of the people formerly inhabiting the 
valleys of San Juan and Little Colorado Rivers. 16. 61.— Conventional 
Ry dae A lee o Blagie * feathers. 
This restriction in its use indicates its local 
origin and application, although descendants of clans from both the 
San Juan and the Little Colorado are represented among the Hopi. 
In one of the simplest forms of the stringed- 
feather designs is a line (pl. 78, 6, c, d) some- 
times taking the form of an elongate triangle, 
terminating in a ball from which spring three 
Fre. 62—Paralle) OF more diverging or parallel lines. This en- 
lines represent- largement on stringed-feather designs may rep- 
ine fenthers. resent a knot, as will appear from certain varia- 
tions in the form of the feathered string to which attention will be 
given later. 
74936°—19—33 rtH——16 
