The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-27
An ABORIGINAL PORTRAIT
The Prehistoric American Pictured
in the Louvre Gallery.
Resemblance of n Bronze Figure In
That Celebrated Museum to the
Red Indians of the NOrthwestern
Section Of This Contincnt-A sub
ject of Great Interest to Scientists.

Visitors to the Louvre. in Paris" said
vision Of Prehistoric Archaeology National
Museum, may notice among the wondrous
collection OF that magnificent gallery
piece OF bronze sculpture marked in the
catalogue as No. S2s. 1t is OF Roman work.
! manship. it's date probably OF the first
century before the Christian era, but what
makes 1t OF especial interest is the fact
that Ii is generally considered by scien-
lists as representing the head Of a North
American Indian.
The style Of this remarkable object Is
essentially Roman, and 1t is thus de-
scribed in the catalogue: Bust Of a slave.
whose head and face are entirely :;haved.
The ears are large and hanging. The top
Of the skull opens by means Of hinge,
which is attached to cover. Above the
ears are placed on either side rings. in
which are adjusted swinging handle,
which represents branch or twig with
buds.
But little Is known OF the history of
the antique. 1t formed part OF the collec-
ton OF Edmund Durand. which King
Charles purchased for the Louvre in
1925. Its peculiarities were first noticed
by M. Adrien de Longperier in 1859.
The object is what was called a Roman
situla, being bucket, Jug. or kettle used
for carrying liquids While living In
Client i became acquainted with N. de
Cueleneer, who has been twice in Washing
tom and who during his visit to the Ma
tional Museum became much interested in
the Catlin Gallery Of Indian Portraits, Of
which the Museum has published cata-
logue filling the entire report Of the year
1885. procured a copy Of this report for
N H. w~rt&1
good effect in his notice Of the bronze
situla in the Louvre. 1t was his opinion,
although this bronze piece was made in
Italy during the first century prior to the
Christian era. that it represented or may
have represented, red Indian from Amer
lea. In support Of this contention he pre-
sented about dozen figures Of Indian
heads, taken principally from the National
Museum catalogue of the Catlin Gallery,
and he called special attention to the SIM
ilarity Of the anatomical and somatologic
characteristics and peculiarities repre-
serted in both. He says of the bronze
head that the skull is dolichocephalic, the
forehead is retreating, the ears are large
and low and the lobes ad'terent. the eye
brows are strongly archa. the nose Is
aquiline, the angles Of the mouth are
turned up and the lips large, the under
jaw Is rounded, occiput is pro.uberant
The discovery of this bronze has enabled
scientists to explain certain fragments Of
notes by Cornelius Nepos which have al
ways troubled and disconnected commenta-
tors. These fragmentary notes relate to
an account of certain Indian slaves as hav-
ing been cast away by the sea on the
coast Of Germany. The description as
given by Cornelius Nepos has been pre-
served by Pomponius Mela, and by PIiny,
the naturalist
The reports of the two writer's agree In
all essential parts. the story being that 4
King (of the Botes or the Sueves) made a
present to the Quintius Metellus Celeri of
an Indian or Indians, who, having been
cast away at sea, were stranded on the
coast Of Germany. NJ. de Cueleneer, in
his paper, Type d'Indien du Nouveau
Monde Represents sur I'm Bronze Antique
lu Louvre qs90), goes profoundly into this
branch Of the subject, shows who Metelius
and how he might have received
rom one of the barbarian kings or tribes
4 present Of slaves, which might have been
indian castaways from the coast Of North
America. He then recites the discovery
Of the bronze situla in the Louvre, and,
by an examination Of its workmanship and
appearance concludes it was made in italy
during the first century before the Chris
tian era. and from its great resemblance ~
the red race of America, as represented iu
the Catlin Gallery, he concludes the
chances are favorable for it having been
a scuipturai representation of North
American Indian"