Ancient art of the province of Chiriqui, Colombia: Sixth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1884-1885, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1888, pages 3-188Holmes, William Henry
History
Ancient art of the province of Chiriqui, Colombia: Sixth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1884-1885, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1888, pages 3-188
Holmes, William Henry
Chiriquí (Panama : Province) -- Antiquities; Indian pottery -- Panama; Indians of Central America -- Panama
Other figures are said to be engraved upon the bowlders and stones used
in constructing the burial cists. De Zeltner states that “one often
meets with stones covered with rude allegorical designs, representing
men, pumas (tigre?), and birds. It is particularly in such huacas as
have pillars and a vault that these curious specimens of Indian art are
found.”[10]
_Columns._--A number of authors speak casually of sculptured stone
columns, none of which have been found in place. Seemann says that they
may be seen in David, where they are used for building purposes,[11] but
this is not confirmed by others. The sculptures are said to be in
relief, like those of Yucatan and Peru. Cullen says that columns are
found on the Island of Muerto, Bay of David.[12] Others are mentioned as
having been seen in Veragua.
_Images._--Objects that may properly be classed as images or idols are
of rather rare occurrence. Half a dozen specimens are found in the
McNiel collections. The most important of these represents a full length
female figure twenty-three inches in height. It is executed in the
round, with considerable attempt at detail (Fig. 6). I may mention, as
strong characteristics, the flattened crown, encircled by a narrow
turban-like band, the rather angular face and prominent nose, and the
formal pose of the arms and hands. Besides the head band, the only other
suggestion of costume is a belt about the waist.
[Illustration: Fig. 6. A goddess of the ancient Chiriquians. Gray
basalt--⅙.]
The material is a compact, slightly vesicular, olive gray, basaltic
rock. I have seen a few additional examples of this figure, and from the
identity in type and detail conclude that the personage represented was
probably an important one in the mythology of the Chiriquians. In
general style there is a rather close correspondence with the sculptures
of the Central American States. Some of the plastic characters exhibited
in this work appear also in the various objects of clay, gold, and
copper described further on.
There is also a smaller, rudely carved, half length, human figure done
in the same style. Besides these figures there are two large flattish
stones, on one of which a rude image of a monkey has been picked, while
the other exhibits the figure of a reptile resembling a lizard or a
crocodile. The work is extremely rude and has the appearance of being
unfinished. It seems that all of these objects were found upon the
surface of the ground.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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