THE TAJIN TOTONAC PART 1 KELLY AND PALERM 



193 



child, after a prolonged search, locate the family 

 comb beneath the metate. 



However, most houses have a certain amount of 

 shelf space. Four or more uprights of wood or 

 bamboo are set in pairs, in the floor of the house ; 

 their upper extremities are lashed to the cross 

 beams. Between each pair of uprights, short 

 transverse pieces are tied at spaced intervals, and 

 on them, a series of planks or half bamboos runs 

 longitudinally. The result is a series of narrow 

 shelves (fig. 27) on which dishes, water jars, and 

 other kitchen equipment are kept. Ordinarily 

 such shelves are built against the house wall. 



Supplementary storage space for cooking ves- 

 sels sometimes is arranged outside, against the 

 wall of the kitchen (pi. 13, d). Two pairs of 

 forked sticks are set in the ground, with a cross- 

 piece resting in the crotches of each pair. On top, 

 saplings or bamboo rest on the transverse sticks, 

 and on this outdoor rack, pots are stacked, mouth 

 down. Since certain vessels are reserved for cer- 

 tain dishes, a large number of cookpots is used, 

 and few kitchens have sufficient room to accommo- 

 date all. 



A platform, basically similar, but more substan- 

 tial, is used as a grinding table. The uprights 

 are either forked or are notched to receive cross- 

 pieces on which planks, poles, or bamboos rest. 

 Generally, two feet of the milling stone are on the 

 platform ; the third sits in the hollow of a large 

 bamboo post set in the ground immediately in 

 front of the frame, its top flush with the latter. 

 Plate 13, a shows such an arrangement in a kitchen 

 which boasts three metates. 



Similarly, a table may be improvised on the 

 basis of a forked-stick frame, if it so happens that 

 the family does not have an ordinary table, made 

 by a carpenter. 



Most kitchens are equipped with one or more 

 hanging shelves, swung from the rafters with 

 liana or rope. A rectangular, swinging shelf is 

 composed of light poles or split bamboos of uni- 

 form length (fig. 25, d, e). At either end, there 

 is a crosspiece on the under side, to which the 

 poles are affixed with liana, in wrapped twine 

 stitch. Such a shelf generally is adjacent to the 

 hearth, so that the cook may reach to it for salt, 

 brown sugar, lard, or other ingredients. 



A circular swinging frame likewise is used for 

 food storage. A withe is bent to form a circle, 



which then is filled with coil without foundation 

 (pi. 22, d; fig. 25, e). Both rectangular and cir- 

 cular frames may have a perforated gourd strung 

 on the suspending cord, so that rats and mice do 

 not have easy access to the provender. 



TABLES 



Most houses have a simple plank table, with 

 four legs, either squared or turned. These are 

 made by a carpenter, usually one who comes from 

 Papantla for the chore. Cedro (No. 219) is the 

 preferred wood. Since varnish or other protec- 

 tive finish seldom is applied, the top becomes 

 greasy within a short while. From time to time, 

 a paste of wood ash is applied to remove the worst 

 of the spots. 



A small round-top table occasionally is made 

 with a pedestal base. The top is affixed to a four- 

 sided block of wood. Short slats are nailed at an 

 angle, to each of the four sides of the pedestal, so 

 that the latter is raised above the floor on four 

 short legs (pi. 15, h). 



As a makeshift, any handy box is used as a table. 

 The platform, supported by a forked-stick frame, 

 has been mentioned above as a frequent substitute 

 for a formal table. 



STOOLS, BENCHES, CHAIRS 



The Totonac do not sit on woven mats spread 

 on the floor. They use a variety of low stools 

 (ta-stikat') , now less common than in former years. 

 Some are cylindrical, being simply short lengths 

 cut from the trunk of a tree (pi. 20, Z>, middle fore- 

 ground) . Others include the section of the trunk, 

 where the branches begin to fork. Inverted, the 

 stumps of the branches serve as feet for the stool 

 (fig. 28, a). 



Somewhat more elaborate one-piece stools also 

 are current. One is a rectangular block of cedar, 

 hollowed slightly on the under side, so as to form 

 four feet (fig. 28, b). Another is more deeply 

 hollowed and is equipped with a handle (fig. 28, c) . 

 The latter form is of general utility, but is said 

 to be especially useful when one is bathing. 



Sometimes special seating provision is made for 

 small children. A section of tree trunk may be 

 prepared in miniature, and one little girl has her 

 own, small-scale stool with handle (pi. 14, c) . An 

 inverted wooden tray provides a makeshift seat 

 for a small child. 



