THE TAJIN TOTONAC — PART 1 KELLY AND PALERM 



219 



impressions are obliterated, and any small stones whicn 

 remain in the clay are brought to the surface and re- 

 moved. "If one leaves stones, they heat and break the 

 plate." 



For several days, the griddle is allowed to dry ; 

 the center is exposed, but the rim is covered, to 

 prevent its splitting. When, finally, a fingernail 

 leaves no impression, the entire upper surface of 

 the plate is polished with a small stone, so that 

 the tortillas will not stick; the lower surface re- 

 mains rough. 



The plate must be thoroughly dry before it is 

 baked; in fall, about 15 days are required; in 

 spring, half that time. The comal is either fired 

 on the kitchen hearth or on a small blaze outside, in 

 both cases, with the wood arranged radially (pi. 

 25, g) . To prevent breakage, burning brands or a 

 handful of ash are placed on the upper surface 

 of the plate during firing; the latter usually re- 

 quires a couple of hours. 



Probably because of its shape, the comal is dif- 

 ficult to fire successfully, and specimens wnich 

 survive the ordeal intact generally are badly 

 warped. One griddle broke "because it was pho- 

 tographed"; another, simply because one of us 

 witnessed the firing. Women do not make a comal 

 and a jar concurrently; "one of the vessels might 

 become angry and break the other." Even an old, 

 used griddle requires special consideration. If it 

 is on the kitchen fire, but not actually in use — that 

 is, when tortilla making has been completed, or 

 when there is a break in that activity — it is ad- 

 visable to place a burning brand on the plate, "so 

 that it may not suffer." 



The manufacture of a pot cover is identical with 

 that of the comal, except that a small effigy, to 

 serve as a knob (fig. 43), is formed separately, in 

 the hands, and is affixed to the center of the plate 

 when the clay still is moist. 



Candlesticks and incense turners. — Candlesticks 

 are formed from a roll of clay, 6 to 8 cm. in 

 diameter and about 15 cm. long. At one end, the 

 finger is pressed into the wet clay to form the 

 cavity for the candle. The stem is modeled to the 

 taste of the potter, and ornament sometimes is ap- 

 pliqued (fig. 44, c, e). The base of the candle- 

 stick is completed last, at least, by Ana Mendez. 

 One may sit to make a candlestick, but the potter 

 stands as she works on other ceramic products, 

 no matter how small. 



Hanging incense burners (not illustrated) usu- 

 ally have a low ring base. They are fashioned as 

 are bowls, and four holes are punched near the 

 rim, through which wires for suspension are 

 passed. Otherwise, these specimens are similar to 

 the table models shown in figure 45, a-c. 



Standing incense burners generally have a tall 

 base (fig. 45) ; some are goblet-shaped (fig. 45, h). 

 They are manufactured by the lump method. A 

 ball of clay is held in the hands and is constricted 

 in the center, to form the stem, at each end of 

 which is an amorphous mass of clay. One is 

 worked into some semblance of a base and the half - 

 finished vessel stood on it. Next, the bowl part 

 is formed, by stroking the upper mass of clay up- 

 ward, with the right hand on the exterior, as a 

 support. When the receptacle is formed, an effigy 

 head may be modeled separately, in the hands, and 

 affixed to the bowl. The surface is smoothed and 

 the entire vessel wrapped in rags or leaves, so that 

 it may dry evenly. Because of their relatively 

 small size, both candlesticks and incense burners 

 usually are baked on the kitchen hearth. 



Other ceramic products. — We did not see the 

 flat-bottomed container for unburned incense (fig. 

 46, b) in the process of manufacture but suppose 

 it to be made as is a bowl, with the addition of 

 effigy features. 



Nor did we have opportunity to see spindle 

 whorls (fig. 54) or pipes made. A pipe probably 

 is formed pretty much as is a candlestick. Modesto 

 Gonzalez presented us with several models (fig. 

 18, b, c,), and we suspect that at least the effigy 

 products (fig. 18, b) represent his own ideas rather 

 than an ancient Totonac pattern. In former times, 

 women made the pipes ; presumably then, as now, 

 they were indisputably the potters. 



Comments. — The Totonac manner of making a 

 jar, by forming the sides and rim first, as a 

 cylinder, and completing the base later (p. 217), 

 warrants special comment, for such procedure 

 seldom has been reported for the New World. 

 Of published instances, we know but one, from 

 San Salvador (Lothrop, pp. 112-115). However, 

 G. Stresser-Pean has witnessed similar ceramic 

 procedure in parts of the Huasteca, as has Ricardo 

 Pozas in Tecomatepec, near Ixtapan de la Sal, in 

 the State of Mexico. In short, this method of 

 manufacturing pots, which Lothrop (p. 116) re- 

 garded as unique, may prove to be relatively wide- 



893477—52- 



-16 



