THE MIDDLE CIVILIZATIONS 



107 



more characteristic. It appears thai the cloisonne* 

 process was taken over from the embellishment of 

 gourd dishes in connection with which it still exists 

 over a Large pari of Mexico and Central America. 

 Another method of decoration taken over from gourds 

 was that of negative painting similar to the process used 

 with cloth in making batik designs. This process still 



Fig. .V7. Vessel with "Cloisonne" Decoration in Heavy Pigments. 

 This example comes from a mound at Atzcapotzalco and dates from 

 late Toltecan times. Trade pieces of this ware have been found at 

 Pueblo Bonito in New Mexico and Chichen Itza in Yucatan. 



exists in Central America as regards gourd dishes al- 

 though discontinued on pottery. Negative painting ap- 

 pears to be an ancient process of exceedingly wide 

 distribution. It is especially common in Jalisco and 

 Michoacan, the Valley of Toluca, Nicaragua, ( Josta Rica, 

 Panama, and Colombia, and sometimes occurs in 

 Yucatan and Peru. The design was painted in wax or 

 some other soluble or combustible paint, then the 

 entire surface was covered with a permanent paint. 



