The evening times., 1900-09-18
OLD GEnS i'I!0M FiR0M MEXICO
A Collection of Jewels Brought
From Achiutla.
soon 10 BE on Exhibition al the Mu-
seum of Natural History in New
ork-0rnHments Made by Former
Raecs-i Design With the Head of
ii BAT aud the Beak of an Eagle"

Living snugly III the drawers OF cabl-
net III Curator Sayille's private room n
the Natural History Museum Of this city
are various jewels in gold and objects
in Jade and jadeite which will make the
people OF New York open their eyes very
wide indeed when they are placed cn
pubic exhibition. When that viii be IS
not quite certain, but it will Ger ,ainiy be
before faH These objects We're brought
by Prof Sayine from part OF Mexico
which Is SeIsioIa visited, namely, Achluiia
now in the state of Guerrero IN days
before the conquest il was on the hound
ary region between the Zapoteeas OF
Oaxaca and the Aixtecas, VINO are sup
posed TO have given RiddeF Eaggard his
idea of the Children OF the Mist PROT
Sayille was in Militia prosecuting eNcava-
tions there when he received some intel
Hgeuce which led him 70 visit AchIutla,
where he purchased the greater part o
the treasures which Will be il the case,
but not all Some OF the ob. ects were OBJ
tained in Mexico City -
The most important and the NEST in
/ teresting came from AchiutIa, and though
their appearance will at first sight seem
too civilized there is not 4 doubt that
they are genuine. II is matter for eN-
perts. and they have already decided tEat
fact There are sAEays doubts in the
case of ancient gold work, because 1t
looks so we'll and SO modern. and many
people shook their heads at the famous
; collection OF Etruscan gold work which
was brought to New York city by Prot
/ CaStelani.
The most interesting object IN the Sa-
willie treasure is exactly like an Etrusean
buifa round jewel about the size Of an
! American quarter, which the Romans be
lieyed was worn bythe Etruscan i}rlstoc-
ia as badge of their caste. This OBJ
iect from AchiuIta is. however. symbolic,
and is the head Of a bat with the beak OIL
an eagle The head, all but the ears and
] beak was not made from gold plate, but
was worked from virgin gold, possibly
from curiousIy shaped nugget 1t was
made hollow like buIla, and two peTfora-
tions were made at the sides, which rem
! ders it probable that the object was
not suspended, but was sewn to the outer
garment of the wearer- The fierce beak or
I the eagle and the bats ears were made
! from plate gold. the ears by hand, and the
beak by casting. All save the upper sur
face is occupied by the two eye cavities
I which are replaced by the most beautiful
rosettes The workmanship is exquisite.
1 Every section of these ornaments was cast,
and then fused into place with the blow
pipe This at least is what is supposed,
! for there is not trace OF soldering and
| the ears seem TO have heen placed in po-
! sftion in the same way. The beak was
joined in a different way. The gold is not
! so pure as the rest of the jewel and the
! upper mandibie was chased, land reveals
| its greater hardness. AS the bat ''ZctZile
WIS the totem of the zotziles of Guate-
| mala and as the eagle was the badge OF
of one of the superior orders Of the knights
/ called Tcotlahuicas, or Companions OF the
! Gods, this Jewel seems to have been made
arI,I tiaha iIaS KojCy nf
| Guatemala.
| 1t may be observed that the real name
| Of the latter country is QuanhtemaIa,
| which certainly means the land OF the ca
/ gfes. The probability is that the jewel
! was never delivered, but was found where
| it was made for Achulta was one Of the
! cities of the BENZ Shono.- the artist and
merchant class of all the country south OF
! the genuine Mexico, or Cullma Confedera
I cy.
/ Besides the gold jewels there are a num-
! ber of objects-in jadeite, which will be
! viewed with profound interest. The Mexl-
/ can Hall of the museum already possesses
/ a ease devoted to jadeite, many Of the
pieces being quite large and of resplenG-
] ent beauty TIE charm of the prospective
I addition to il will be found in a necklace
/ of iadeite beads, among which is one OF
genuine Jade. The latter mineral is the
! true nephrite which the Chinese havc
J worn for thousands of years as an amG>
! let against kidney disease induced by tea
| drinking Now neither genuine Jade nor
! jadeite has ever been found in Mexico. But
i scientists. among item Mr.. Kunz, Of this
/ city believe that Jadeite viii eventually
be found in Meylco. but not Jade. Mr.,
! kunz saw this Jade bead and pronounced
it the genui.e Oriental jade of the most
perfect color. : ne beads of jadeite are
mottlaa light green. and white, whereas
I the jade bead. wts<h is about the diameter
| of dime, is dark green. like the leaf OF
leek. The perforation is in the centre
and four grooves like rays go from it to
the four points of the circumference, 50
that it really is d cross within circle
This kind OF cross is distinctly pre-Chris,
tian, but there are many specimens e&tant