The New York herald., 1876-07-23
THE EXHIBITION.

ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE ABORIGINAL HUMANITY
or THE coSTINENr-THE POTTERY OF PERU
COMPARED WITH THE RELICS OF XoU.D
DUnDERs-rHE MODERN INDIANS AND THE
AzTEcs THE sAMK RACE.
PHILADELPHIA. July II, 1876
One OF the parts OF the great human family that is
best represented the Centennial by its own products
is the aboriginal humanity of this clntinent-the first
Americans. lar VIC know. In the United States
government building, and at two points in the main
building, may be secn--practicay al vlcw-per-
haps the largest and certainly the most instructive
collection brought together in illustration OF the
history of the savagcs who found this country
at the time OF discovery.
No explorations made in any part OF the carths sur
face eucidaton Of the history Of the Stone Age havo
yet shown any implements that have not their
logucs in this collection so that this exhibition may be
regarded prcsentnga siull setr In illustration OF
the earliest advances of human ingenuity, while
hibts what certainly not TO he found in any colcc
ton OF stone implements in Europe-thc
that are relics of tribes which became ex-
,inct centuries since, ana side by side stones OF
precisely the character now actually found in
use with tribes In existence. Implements lound in
New York, New Jersey, Virginia and ohio here
relies Of the Indians that held those States but
OF history; yet when by nnd stones OF the
in with the Indians Of the Northwest; the
bones seem to become part of living frame.
As an instance of The eject OF this jnxaposition
may refer TO one TACT OF many Every person who has
reflected the OF stone malets has probably
dored whether tho art!cncss OF the material did
often bctray whoever depended upon It, But it Is
seen hero that the whole wcapon-hcad handle and
al-was completely cncased in tough covering Of
raw hide, which certainly obviated that difficulty in
great degree. BY reason of this contrivance these
weapons were practically enormous ''siung shots"
THIS collection is OF the greatest archaeological inter
est and the study Of trogodyte history be greatly
stmulsted by what is shown OF the dwellings, Of
Arizona But perhaps the point of greatest Interest is
the exhibition of the pottery of the mound builders
and tie opportunity OF comparing il with the pottery
OF well known Indian races. Pottery from the
mounds, with other lndnn pottery, Is 10 be found IN
the United States building
THE rorrnEY OF THE Ayc,rxrs
In tho Department. OF Peru, in the main building,
there Is deal OF pottery taken The burial
places OF the ancient Innabilants of the country Not
lar away Is case from the State OF Missouri filled with
relics OF the mound budcrsthc plundcr of ancient
graves found in mounds IN the Mississippi Vailey-nnd
the comparison that may be readily ol the pot
terry oil the ancient inhabitants Of such widely
districts is instructive TO their probable relation
ship.
In the pottery OF the mound builders the most nota-
bic fact Is that the greater part OF their vessels evident
y were MADE To contain water or other iuids--are
limitations Of the forms of familiar objects IN nature
They have been made by people whose intellectual
growth had not reached tho where 1t accepts
btrary forms. They mostly initiate the human lgure
and the bulge OF tho vessels always stands Tor
| the human abdomen. which IL represents with
moro or less accurvcy The 'neckn OF the vessel Is
neck, in fact, with the imitation OF human head
some stage oil It, Toward the oricc, or 'mouth u the
design finishes IN many cases In what might he taken
for tue mutation OF stoveppe hat, but which, from
the flare AT The edges, is apparently intended for
imitation OF the circular feather headdress OF
the Indians To some OF the vessels legs and
saaeo IN & no'r proper places IN nears proporonae
while the artist has not felt himself liberty omit
them, he has adapted their proportions to his conven
icnco and made them useful. In some the legs
are nero knobs Oi clay or ''eei" Tor the vessel
stand upon while the arms are carried from the shout
ders up 10 the side OF the head and made
MS ''handles.' y In vthor the hands and arms
merely appear as scratches OF the proper
| form at the appropriate points on the
body OF tho vessel There which these
dcaons OF limbs have passed beyond the picturesque
initiative stage OF engraved lines and have become
mere conventional scratches, repeated without comprc
| henson Of what was originally signiGed Where TINS
is done the vessel is not widely different from the
| rudcly shaped bottle Of any country; but 1t has no
contrivanco at the lower end upon which 1t could
stand upright. This employ yment OF
THE HUMAN FORM
Is pcrtinacously adhered suggest the notion
that there some INV desply rootea the small
range OF aboriginal ideasa convection that vessel
incomplete without some indication of humanity
about ituncss, indeed, II boldly initiated some lower
animal Shallow open vessels, not unlike our saucers
IN FORM finished by the addition OF two bits clay
| al the edge on side, which human feet and
third Bit al the other side. which is a human head.
The face looks directly Into The saucer.
This OF human outlines is also the most remark
able feature oi tue Peruvian pottery. With this pot
terry the imitation carried to such degree that
mistake has been made OF upposing that articles
were not water vessels but idols: but in the arocr
number OF instances the imitation is only pursued 10
about the same degree as in the Missouri pottcry-an
imitation which eventually held to original type
few indications becoming constantly more ana more
| conventional
| Several minor animals are represented Ia the same
crude way with both people. 1t Is not always possible
| to say what animals intended though the Mis-
sourians the better artists aud leave in
doubt in This respect Ono OF tier dishes initiates
| exceedingly well bullirog II is open dish so
formed that the whole back OF the bulrog would tho
| cover II there we're any cover
| RESEMBLANCE.
In other particulars the potlcrcs resemble each
other coior and general character. aud II the coec
tons confused there many vessels that could
bc distinguished by any positive Signs that APP
parent There might he doubt OF tue
vessels IL VIC did not nnd tbLm practically REPRODUCED
in tribes OF modern Indians where their is know
| by observation. AS the Indians used funeral urns
in some and deposited in them
| human ashes or other relics II might
be thought that the vessels tho form OF humanity
relics; but the most characteristic vessels OF the
mound builders are found reproduced by the Indians
OF the northwest coast ia some cases IN wood exceed
ngly we'll carvci-thanks to implements obtained from
white men. With these Indians the articles Qucs.
ton are mostly dishes for food. The Aztecs tthc
mound buders, and OF living Indians at least OF
the northwest coast by the evidence OF their own
products TO be Of the same race.