Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-01-17
PRIMITIVE Aryr.

{ legislators the wives of Legislators
and other visitors ayailcd themselves
this week Of the opportunity to view
the really extraordinary exhibit, Illus
tratiye of primitive art prepared for
/ the San Diego exposition by K NJ.
I Chapman, of the school Of American
Archaeology. Before packing up the
exhibit and sending it on Sunday ev-
ening. the two hundred and more de-
signs were displayed in the historic
reception room of the old Palace.
The designs were beautifully Grawn
and were in color as well as in black
and white. Their theme was the eVo-
luton of the bird In primitive art, tn
greater number Of designs being taken
from ancient pottery and textiles. First
come primitive forms from Chaldean
and Graeco Phoenlcian periods be-
tween 500 AM 80 r c. one series
shows bird figures influenced by var
i0us forms of spaces. Designs from
Zuni, Casas Grandes, Hopi and con-
trasted with those of Copts from nor
thern Africa. The influence of sym
bolism is wildly indicated. Zia, pre-
historic pueblos in Arizona, prehistor-
Ne Argentina. Iapotecan, Mexico,
furnish another series The effect
of over ornamentation is illustrated 10
show further departure from real
ism. There are pictures of types
from Teste island Cyprus, Russia in
the 18th century from the Book OF
Kells, Ireland, as well as prehistoric
Peru, Huichoi Mexico oriental rug
and northern Africa weaving. graphi-
cally depicting the angular forms re-
suting from the inability of the weav-
er 10 make curved lines in coarse IA
brio. Navajo blanket designs are
contrasted with those from the orient,
ancient Peru, while stlll another SER
les shows the result Of ornamentation
along artistic lines developed in the
far east. Then there is simplification
and its influence caused by frequent
and careless copying Of designs and
especially striking is the development
of a conventionalized decorative band
from the ostrich figure BIZ the ancient
Egyptian. The realistic figure of the
ostrich by the Bushmen Of South Afri-
ca, the early Gracian, Zapotecan and
Peru designs precede q series Of al
most a hundred designs from the most
ancient types of pottery found in the
southwest of the United states This
series OF pottery designs clearly shows
the copying of angular forms develop
ed in basketry and textiles. In the
excavation of the ancient ruins of the
Pajarito plateau, two distinct types
of decorated pottery are often found
lying side by side in the same room.
Whether these two distinct types, the
gray and the glazed ware were made
by the same individuals or by two dis
tnet clans or divisions In the same
community has not been determined
A remarkable difference between two
systems of bird symbols is here shown.
This series of double bird designs is "A
further evolution. There is exhibited
the picture of typical Fajantan glaz-
ed red ware bowl, the decorative band
extended ard "a panel from the decor
alive band showing the usual position
Of the bird figure. In this series of
drawings can be seen all the factors
of evolution as presented in the group
OF bird figures from the primitive dec
orative art of various peoples. The
paiaritan glazed ware is reddish dec
GRATED with glazed lines, the interven-
ing space being filled with a deeper
red The figures from the san Hide
fOnso, SaRto Domingo. Cochiti, Iia,
Zun and Hopi pottery seems to prove
that the decorations in bird designs af
the Pueblo Indians of New Mexico and
Arizona has scarcely a trace Of the
system of design of the ancient cltt
jewellers pottery.
Next week, an art exhibit is to lie