THE POLYCHROME GROUP. 157 



highly skilful and artistic panel ornaments are broken in the middle by the sharp 

 angle at the shoulder. The four panels are grouped so that two opposing ones 

 form a pair, the smaller pair being in line with the relief forms. The designs in 

 the large panels are similar, but not identical. The same is true of those in the 

 small panels. These designs all seem to rest on the broad black band that forms 

 the bottom of the common panel frame, but do not quite reach the black band 

 at the top of the frame. 



The purple is used very sparingly, being found only in the two small panels. 

 Here, the principal element of the design resembles the false door (Scheinthiir) of 

 an Egyptian tomb. The narrow longitudinal central framework is filled in with 

 purple, one margin of which is thrown into a series of wave-like curves. The 

 crosspiece at the top is also purple. Above this comes the life form in relief and 

 above the latter, a much flattened oval ring of purple outlined in black. The details 

 of the panel opposite are practically the same, except that red is employed, instead 

 of purple, in the central framework. 



The designs of the two large panels are each built up around a central red 

 oval. About this are grouped the four arms of an X-shaped design, each contain- 

 ing a small panel, decorated with the false door pattern resembling somewhat 

 that already described. In the upper and lower angles of the X is an elaborate 

 rendering of the alligator motive in black — the body-line of the animal and a 

 small concentric ring placed over the dorsal concavity (compare with fig. 256). 

 Within the lateral angles are quadrangular fields, each enclosing a more or less 

 realistic representation of the alligator. These are reproduced in figure 258. 



Fig. 258. — Conventionalized alligator designs illustrating the process of sparing the pattern out of the field (see 

 fig. 257). '/> 



The technique here is different from that which obtains elsewhere throughout 

 this group. The design is produced not by delineating colors, but by filling in 

 the field around the figure in black, leaving the figure in the color of the slip. 

 The skill and ingenuity with which this work is executed are simply amazing. 

 They make the ancient Chiriquian a worthy rival of those who boast the tra- 

 ditions of Greece and of the renaissance of Italy. He proved himself master of 

 the brush in three distinct systems: (1) The production of the figures by direct 

 application of delineating colors ; (2) the lost color process, and (3) by sparing 

 the figure out of the ground (ausgespartes Ornament). 



The series ends with the gem of the polychrome group and the finest work 

 of ancient Chiriquian decorative art known to the author. In originality of design, 

 richness of detail and skill in execution, it stands alone (PI. XLV and frontis- 

 piece). Holmes l attempted to reproduce this piece also, from de Zeltner's miniature 



1 Op. cit, figs. 214, 215. 



