OFFlCffl^L ORGAN OF THE KANSAS CITY ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 
VOL. V. KANSAS CITY, MO., DECEMBER, 1891. No. 12. 
Description of the Exeter Vase. 
[Proceedings of the Academy of Seieuee.] 
By E. Butts. 
The frontispiece of tliis issue of 
the Scientist represents one of tlie 
most remarkable finds in the way 
of ancient art and stone carving that 
has hitherto been discovered in the 
prolilic archreologicai producing 
State of Missouri, and in fact it is a 
question wliether the territory might 
not be extended to embrace the 
United States. 
The alluded to carving is a vase 
composed of sandstone covering a 
superficial area of about thirty- six 
square inches and standing about 
four inches in height ; on each of 
the four corners is carved a head, 
one of which represents that of a 
human being and the others respec- 
tively that of a puma, a wild cat and 
a bear; the carvings of the animal 
heads are made with such accuracy 
that there can be no mistake as to 
their identity, and would be a credit 
to a modern work of art of like 
character. 
The human head is, no doubt, a 
correct likeness of the people who 
were associated with the artist and 
is regarded as the most correct rep- 
resentation, now extant, of an 
ancient indigenous tribe of America; 
the hair is arranged in a manner 
indicative of a vast amount of taste 
as it flows in graceful curls over the 
back and shoulders, giving the whole 
an airy aspect most difficult to at- 
tain in works of art; the forehead 
and countenance generally are full 
of expressive intellect, although the 
nose is nearly worn off, and the 
mouth formed with lips in relief, 
similar to mound and toltes or Aztec 
carvings; however, there is not, as 
is the case with most of the ancient 
American works, a lack of finish or 
distorted, caricatured features, but 
