Ancient Pottery of the Mississippi Valley: Fourth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1882-83, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1886, pages 361-436 — John Shaqi
Ancient Pottery of the Mississippi Valley: Fourth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1882-83, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1886, pages 361-436Holmes, William Henry
History
Ancient Pottery of the Mississippi Valley: Fourth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1882-83, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1886, pages 361-436
Holmes, William Henry
Indian pottery -- Mississippi River Valley; Mississippi River Valley -- Antiquities
These effigy vases are numerous, and greatly varied in size and color.
They are mostly of the dark ware, but are found painted plain red
or in red and white figures, some of which represent parts of the
costume, others, emblematic devices. The largest specimen with which
I am acquainted is illustrated in Fig. 452. It is well modeled, a good
deal of attention having been given to the details of anatomy. The
back is very much humped, and the vertebræ are represented by a series
of knobs. The position of the feet beneath the body is, perhaps,
worthy of notice. This is shown in Fig. 453_b_. It will be seen that
the knees, calves, ankles, and the various parts of the feet are
indicated with an approach to accuracy. The projecting back is seen
below. The bottom of the vessel is nearly flat, and the legs are
modeled in low relief upon it. Other positions are shown in Fig. 453.
[Illustration: FIG. 452.--Effigy bottle: Arkansas.--1/3.]
Fig. 454 illustrates a characteristic profile.
[Illustration: FIG. 453.--Positions of feet.]
One of these vases has a cross painted upon the breast of the
personage represented. The kneeling position, taken in connection with
the cross, leads to the thought that perhaps the potter lived in the
period of the French missionary, and attempted to model him in clay.
There is, however, no indication of costume, and the painting, with
the exception of the cross, is in a purely aboriginal style of design.
The ground color of the vase is, as usual, a moderately dark gray
brown, and the painted figures are laid on in thick, blackish paint.
Lines partially encircle the eyes, and extend down over the cheek to
the neck, and a line passes around the mouth and extends down over the
chin, neck, and chest to the base of the body. The horizontal bar of
the cross connects the nipples. The shoulder blades and the hands are
also painted black. The back is very curiously modeled and painted.
[Illustration: FIG. 454.--Effigy bottle: Arkansas.--1/3.]
[Illustration: FIG. 455.--Effigy bottle: Arkansas.--1/3.]
There are in the collection a number of specimens that do not come
under either of the preceding heads. Of these I may mention three
small figures from Paducah, Kentucky, which represent a snake, a man,
and a deer. They are very rudely done, and are possibly modern work.
Attention should be called to some small specimens resembling
toadstools or mushrooms in shape, some of which may have been stoppers
for bottles, while others could have served as implements in some of
the arts. One of these pieces has a distinctly vitrified surface. Its
age, however, cannot be determined.
There are a few rude pipes of usual forms and of no special interest.
The comparative scarcity of these articles, so plentiful in some
of the mound districts, is certainly worthy of the attention of
archæologists.
UPPER MISSISSIPPI PROVINCE:
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