[Illustration: Fig. 114. Small tripod cup with upright walls and legs imitating animal heads--½.] [Illustration: Fig. 115. Vase with flaring rim and legs, imitating animal heads--½.] To this class belongs also a small dark vase of peculiar shape and interesting decoration, which is illustrated in Fig. 116. The neck is large and the lip widely flaring, and the body is modeled in imitation of the head of some animal, possibly a peccary. The side representing the face is prolonged, giving an unsymmetric profile, as seen in the second figure. The eyes are set midway between the ears (which are placed at the sides) and the nostrils, and are inclosed by curious engraved figures, probably suggested by the markings of the animal portrayed. An arched ridge, representing the brows, connects the bridge of the nose with the ears. The most novel feature of this piece is the band of incised ornament that crosses the back of the head and serves probably to carry out the idea of the complete creature. As will be seen by reference to the figure, it is a guilloche-like interlacing of fillets, bordered and apparently held in place by longitudinal bands, beyond which the angles of the ornament project. The pattern is a modified form of one commonly seen upon the margins of the larger stone metates, and, although rarely met with in the pottery of Chiriqui, was a favorite motive with the potters of Costa Rica. This vessel comes from 30 miles north-northwest of David. [Illustration: Fig. 116. Vase modeled to resemble the head of an animal--½.] [Illustration: Fig. 117. Pattern upon the back of the vase presented in Fig. 116.] The unpainted wares here so briefly described are typically Chiriquian, and are closely associated in the graves with most of the leading groups of art products of the province. It must be allowed that they take first rank in the isthmian states, if not in America, for simplicity and refinement of form, perfection of method, and purity of style. PAINTED WARE. The painted vases of Chiriqui embrace at least ten easily distinguished varieties of ware. The characters upon which the classification is based are somewhat heterogeneous and include material, color, shape, finish, ornamentation, method of manufacture, and evidences of use. No single character and no one group of characters can be relied upon to distinguish the different groups. We must depend, therefore, upon an assemblage of characters or upon one character in one place and another in another place. Observing a number of striking differences in two groups of ware, we arrive at the conclusion that these groups must have been the work of distinct communities; yet we find very marked differences in wares that (through the possession in common of some particular feature) we know to be the work of the same hands. We can, therefore, determine little in regard to the peoples concerned.