New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-28

diatey he proceeded inland to Arkansas for
5 h exessnr Theses pansey peec
shall we rather say tribe of Aztecs came UP 10
and then i've went home ost probable s
luton. and admit that ordinary rednen. VINO nve1
unusual vases. and we will then try TO explain how
II came about that few should have peen ape 20
skill that could produce the under discussion
must assuredy be nothing less than great and rare
accurately modelled, and above ALL depicting death
with master hand yes more presenting sen TO Inc ne
in the long-forgotten past. Here is death present
with as plainly as it is in the well-preserved
features of an Egyptian mummy. He is certainly 4
great artist who can do this. How did our un-
tuiored redmsn achieve ms wonderful pesh now Ss
fleeing spirit left ajar? How eternalize the eyelids
striving to opcn to eternal darkness? With mar
velous fidelity this jar represents these things
the centuries gone, enables rs TO sight the shad-
ows of the Death Angels wings;
Now. is il likely that the redskn artist who never
succeeded in modelling any other object accurately
should go de mph bN Wh fsca most S
not What. then is the explanation? To me ne, II
Sse us % e Ra
and used for ages by sculptors Clearly the face
on this jar is a death-mask. Soft clay pressed
It was removed and other soft clay thinly pressed
built upon till the jar before was completed
In this conclusion there is nothing improbable
artist. and it was utilized in making these urns
for burial with the remains of distinguished in
dyiduas. In no other way. II seems to me, can
this vase be satisfactorily explained Mr. Holmes
THE finest example yet found Is shown In Figure
40 In form it is simple head five inches In
ture of the is in the crown and is surrounded
by a low, upright rim, slightly recurved. The
y the contour of the exterior surface excepting in
projecting fea lures: such as the ears. lips and
one-quarter of an inch in thickness. the base being
about three;eighths. The bottom is fiat. and takes
cannot be said to have single feature strongly
CHARACTERISTIC Of Indian physlognomy, We have. in
of the African. The nose. however. is small and
the nosrils are narrow. The face would seem to be
features are all well modelled, and decidedly
a in has IN pretty s ene e contest s h S
face to he produced as well as of the expression
viii be- impossible however to prove that the port
trait OF a particular parsonage was intended. The
lips certainly intended to give the ss ect Of
death The ears are large. correctly placed and
In this Mr. Holmes assumes. apparently. that the
artist Of this remarkable vessel modelled it free
that Il Is purely ideal ! am OF opinion this would
and believe nescr will live who could HeV impress vss
such individuality on clay. either from his magma
lion TO- or from the model Such conception and execu
scendod from an aesthetic race. and there is no EVIL
nent IN any precounbian time. I believe this vase
and similar work have been regarded by as
evidence or the FORMER occupancy or this land a
race different from the redmen but its very accu-
racy is evidence against such theory. A race so
different from the redman az to be capable of pro-
ducing face like this would have left other and
abundant testimony OF their skill They would in
all probability. have left hands and feet arms legs
and torsos as well; for without constant practice
In these things how could they have attained This
perfection Art Is certainly a growth in any land
not an explosion. '
There Is only one way then. In my opinion that
this vase and its companions could have been pro-
duced by any being who ever occupied the terri
tory whore II was found and that Is by the method
have described The cut OF Figure 40 herewith
reproduced. is half size can discover NO special
resemblance to African features. An eminent artist
10 whom showed the cut, and who did not knaw
tho connection, thought the features resembled
those or tho Chinese. All that can see in them h,
young redskin. somewhat distorted by disease
and death. The age might be anywhere from ten
to sixteen. II male. and fourteen to twenty II
female. The nose seems TO be one that might
become strongly aquiline. The face Is not after
all as small AS the size OF the jar at first glance
would. seem TO establish. md This discovers dis
crepancy In. scale between II apd tho remainder of
the vessel proving that when the potter left the
guidance OF his mould cast he was lost and
rounded up the vase too soor and too small to ac-
cord with the features Not all the potters were
entirely successful with their mouds as some faces
snow considerable distortion due doubtless to clum-
sinsss and lack OF care In handling.
AZ, ne ears nave several perfoIatons In each. which
MT Holmes thinks reveal custom OF the tribe.
win this must differ for the reason that at the
top OF the lace Is q perforated knob which must
nave been made for suspension by a cord. In that
case TWO othcr cords were necessary TO hold the
vase IN balance, and these two cords would be
Obliged TO come down at the back and on each
s,de of the head for attachment The only avail
able projections for such an attachment are tho
ears. ana the peyfOTatonl. Il sAema were