LIFE-rOEM IN ART. 



825 



In lookino- thronofh the radicals of the full-faced head in Aztec art and the 

 sources tributary to it, Ave find a number of rudimentary outlines, many of which have 

 had doubtless strictly limited significances attached to them. The majority of these 

 we have selected from the Dresden Codex, — so i-emarkable among Aztec remains for 

 the conciseness of outline, and relative absence of non-essential elements. The out- 

 line as seen in this Codex is proposed (f) as the radical of the front view of the 

 human face. It is essentially the same as the Asian radical enclosed in a circle. 



We present the following as a demonstration : 



Fig. 128. 



(t) it) (§) (I) 



(**) 



Full-faced skull radicals from Aztec desioii. 



May we not assert, assuming the correctness of the above sequence, that these are 

 but varieties of the full-faced symbol ? 



The radicals to be next described are those dependent upon the union of others. 

 These are comprehensive types and are of unusual interest. 



We are informed by Di-. Brintonff that many of the designs of the American 

 races have reference to the cardinal points. We hope to show that the cardinal 

 l^oints are often represented by four full faces, and that each face is represented 

 by a well-defined radical. It might be expected that the radical already given, (+) 

 would be the basis of this more complex design. Such, however, does not appear 

 from the sequence here given. 



*-|| Kingsbjrough Coll. (Dresden Codex). 



** Stephen, Yucatan, I, Frontispiece (Capan). 



^ Catherwood. 1. e. 



\\ Myths of the New World, I. c. 



A. P. S. — VOL. XV. 3x. 



