THE POLYCHROME GROUP. 



155 



be the more primitive and appears to have been the favorite among the ancient 

 Chiriquian potters. The single S was used, to be sure, but not a series of inter- 

 locked S's to form a current scroll of the reverse type. 



The branching scroll is apparently of much less frequent occurrence than the 

 reverse scroll. With the exception of Chiriqui, it is rarely seen in the art of the 

 Western hemisphere. Riegl 1 figures 

 examples of it from Rhodes, Greece, 

 Pompeii and Syria. These are practically 

 all outspoken representations from the 

 plant world. On the other hand, the 

 Chiriquian branching scroll bears no re- 

 semblance to any plant except in the 

 manner of its growth, as suggested by 

 its name. The motive bears the stamp 

 of originality in all its details and may 

 justly be called Chiriquian. 



A rare form of vase is illustrated in 

 figure 256. It was one of the few selected 

 by deZeltner 2 for illustration; his photo- 

 graph, however, is not only very small 

 but is also lacking in detail. Using de 

 Zeltner's diminutive photograph as a 

 guide, Holmes 3 attempted to reproduce 

 it by means of a drawing, which is un- 

 avoidably inexact. At that time Holmes 

 had not seen the original. In shape, it 

 is like an elongated bell resting on a 

 shallow bowl. As usual, the support is 

 annular and the lip projects but slightly 

 above the flat angular shoulder. The 

 decorated zones are bounded by hori- 

 zontal bands applied in groups of three, 



consisting of a red band between two black ones of unequal breadth. The upper 

 zone is divided into four panels by means of two pairs of triple vertical bands. 

 The two larger panels are ornamented with a sort of fretwork, the design being 

 approximately the same in each. The outlines are in narrow bands of black. 

 The filling is done in purple, except at the ends, where it is red. The derivation 

 of this motive is presumably the same as that of the sigmoid scroll, i. e., from 

 the united body-lines of two alligators. 



The chief interest attaches to the motive already familiar by reason of its as- 

 sociation with the foregoing examples of branching scrollwork (see text-figs. 253-255 

 and PI. XLIV). Here it is repeated eight times in order to fill the lower zone, 

 and is completely detached from the branching scoll, which is left to be supplied 



1 Alois Riegl, Stilfragen, figs. 76, 96, 128, 130 and 158, Berlin, 1893. 



2 Op. cit. 



3 Op. cit, fig. 213. 



Fig. 256.— Unique type ot vase, the zonal decorations 

 being alligator motives. Polychrome ware. V 1 



