Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1874-04-23
MEXICAN CURIOSITIES.
Ant'u"ittcs FROM Palcnuso aad Ecuad.
From the New York Times.


From the New York Times.
MIR. Jose Ortiz do Tapia. = Spanish
gentleman who had for many years
been engaged in collecting antia9ities
in Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Central
America and other Spanish American
countries, arrived in this city q short
time ago from Mexico, bringing With
him large and valuable collection of
antiquities obtained principally from
the ruins of the ancient city of Palen-
que, in the state Of Ohiphas, Southern
Mexico. Yesterday q reporter was
favored with 9 private view of the col
lection. which, 20 soon O.. it can be,
properly arranged and the obiects
classified, will be opned to public in
spection. 1t will he a rare treat to the
archeologists and lovers Of curiosities,
as these are some of the objects which
are supposed to be 10000 years old.
There are idols of stone and earthen-
ware, stone masks, ornaments of gold,
a stone sceptre, mirrors of copper
|pyrites, necklaces of beads made Of
polished agate, cornelian, obsidian and
other materials, spear and arrow heads
of quartz and obsidian, hatchets and
knives of stone, stones for grinding
colors, water jars and vases of earthen-
ware, tobacco pipes, stamps for stamp
ing figures on cloth, musical instru-
ments of wood aud clay, spindles, and
a host of other things Of q most inter-
esting character. -
The most important object of the
collection is a stone idol, which is
supposed to have been made by the
primitive race that inhabited that por-
tion of Mexico. From the traditio ms
handed down by the Indians, and from
the Popolvuh, or sacred book Of the
tribes OF the Quiche Nation, this idol is
supposed to represent the God
Cucumaz, or the God of the air. also
called by the Indians Quetzalooatle.
This idol is about two feet high, and
eighteen inches in diameter. Il is cut
from block Of chocolate-oolored por-
phyry, and represents feathered SER
pent in q solid coil. From its mouth.
which is widely distended, the head Of
woman emerges, her arms and legs
appearing from between the coils.
This is supposed to represent the orr
gin of woman. It is in perfect state
Of preservation, and is highly polished.
The type of the face Of the woman
bears no resemblance to that of the
race that inhabits that portion Of Mex
leo to-day, and is very much like the
carved faces seen among the Egyptian
ruins. The idol is thought by Mexican
antiquarians to be at least twenty
thousand years old. The stone masks
of which there are some fifteen or twen-
ty, are made of deterrent kinds of stone,
and are of varied types. There is one
which deserves special mention; it is of
jade or nephrite, mineral not found in
Mexico; whether it was originally taken
to that country from Asia, or how it
came to be there, is q question which
still has to be settled. It is of q light
apple-green, and semi-transparent.
Some of the masks are highly polished,
while others are puite rough. Two OF
them, both of white marble, were evi-
IDENTIFY made to represent death. On
one Of these, eyes made Of q blush
stone had been fastened. The geld or
naments in possession of Mr.. Ortiz are
the only ones that have been found up
to the present time. They consist Of
two rings, one of open-work, of . very
delicate description, which has pro-
lection upon one side in the shape of
the head-dress or crown worn by the
ancient kings or emperors. It meas
ures about one inch and q quarter in
the widest part. The other is of
plain beaten gold, and is about one
inch and half wide. They are both
of very small diameter, and could have
been worn only by a person having q
very small hand. Besides the rings
there are also ornaments Of beaten gold,
evidently intended to be worn on the