On the Ancient Use of a small Clmj Cup, 123 



of Glastum. "With this both matrons and girls in Britain are in 

 the habit of staining their bodies all over when they take part in 

 the performance of certain sacred rites." So the North American 

 Indians stain their faces with red paint before battle. 



"And they stood there on the meadow 

 "With their weapons and their war gear, 

 Painted like the leaves of Autumn, 

 Painted like the sky of morning." — Hiawatha I. 



And after the combat, they 



"Washed the war paint from their faces." — Hiawatha I. 



The same Indians, before they engage in certain dances, put 

 white clay on their bodies. And the New Zealand Chief coloured 

 his ^ skin with red ochre to make himself smart for the reception of 

 strangers. 



The observations of Caesar and Pliny, confirmed by the analogous 

 customs of modern uncivilized races indicate then that body-painting 

 must have been a frequent process with the early inhabitants of our 

 island. It is therefore a natural supposition that a cup in which to 

 mingle war paint would form part of a warrior's kit on a hostile ex- 

 pedition, and one to contain ornamental body paint would be among 

 the articles of toilet used by Britons of both sexes in their huts or 

 wigwams. Of such a character were, doubtless, the two stone pots, 

 plate L, figs 2, 3, discovered in a Picts house at the bay of Skaill 

 Orkney ; for of these the oblong one, fig. 2 actually contained red 

 pigment, and the angular one, fig. 3 exhibited manifest traces of 

 its contents having been once of a similar nature. No one will 

 be surprised then that acquaintance with such a discovery should 

 have suggested to the writer of this paper the supposition that the 

 use of the Coughton cup and the so called incense cups might have 

 been the same as that of the stone pots of Orkney, with this 

 exception, that through the perforated ears of the Coughton cup, and 

 the pairs of holes in the incense cups, which Sir Richard C. Hoare, 

 who gave that name to those vessels, probably supposed were 

 draught holes to cause the incense to burn freely, might have been 

 inserted some ligament for the purpose of the suspension of those 

 articles to the person, or to the walls of the habitation of the early 



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