Mohave Pottery Part 2

_g_, 1714, d. 177, h. 121. The H/D proportion, 68 per cent, is, with pl. 8,_h_, the highest of all bowls. I called it a "deep pot"

when I acquired it. Wt. 23 oz. Design, outside: (i)yamtupe?(a) face paint.

_h_, 4292, "model," i.e., made for sale, d. 149, h. 77. Design, inside, halyto?a, spider; outside, atci'ara, fish tail. This vessel, as well as the platter 4294, pl. 3,_j_, was secured from the wife of Tokwa?a, "Muskmelon"; he gave the account of Olive Oatman's return published in 1951 in No. 4 of the Publications of the Kroeber Anthropological Society, also dictated a myth about the origin of war, and was accorded a running or mourning ceremony on his death. He is a historic character, having been encountered by the Ives party in 1858 and mentioned in Mollhausen. He was one of the nine hostages imprisoned at Fort Yuma and escaped from there--a disturbance that ended in the defeat of the Mohave in battle by Armistead later in 1859.

These 8 bowls vary more in proportion than those of plate 1. H/D ratio runs, seriated: 38, 45, 50, 52, 53, 57, 68 per cent, average 52, as against 51 per cent average for plate 1. The lowest bowl in the present lot is _c_, with _a_ next; the highest is _g_. These three are outside the limits of plate 1.

The interior designs are less uniform than in plate 1.

_a_ and _b_ show an overall interior pattern of solid rhomboidal quadrilaterals or hexagons reduced to triangles in the interstices and toward the rim; each such figure being surrounded by 3 thin parallel lines. Where the outermost of these enclosing lines intersect, two of the four angles are solidified, producing secondary hourgla.s.s figures.

The effect is a bit like a tortoise carapace; but the design was named only for _b_, and then as recalling an overall pattern of basketry, which the Mohave do not themselves weave or coil though they know and use it. In _a_, there are four large hexagons filling most of the field (actually one is more pentagonal, one heptagonal); along the edges are four lenticular areas, each enclosing two triangles; two of these lenses show in the photograph. In _b_, the figures are grouped in four parallel tiers extending across the bowl. In _b_, the _outside_ carries vertical stripes; in _a_, eight right-slanting and eight left-slanting lines enclosing as many diamonds and hourgla.s.s figures, with solid filling of the upper and lower corners of the diamonds and meeting corners of the hourgla.s.ses.

_c_ and _d_ are crossed by rows of solid triangles touching at the corners. These aim at being equilateral in _c_ (the flattest of the bowls), so that the intervening background s.p.a.ces are also roughly equilateral, and there is an overall dark-light effect. But in _d_ the triangles are narrower-based, or isosceles, and their points meet the bases instead of the corners of triangles in the tier above, so that the effect is one of pattern in rows rather than overall. This is the design that was called "coyote teeth"; which fairly agrees with plate 4,_l_,_q_.

_f_ also has solid triangles, but they meet point to point, leaving light rhomboids between their two rows. The center is a lightly quartered circle; toward the rim, there is a row of smaller, double, point-to-point (hourgla.s.s) triangles, each set over the outer point of a rhomboid. These outer triangles are each crossed by a bar of light background--a feature not repeated in the collection, and seeming strange to me; but it does yield a pair of miniature solid triangles--that favorite Mohave design device--in the waist of each outer hourgla.s.s. The miniature solid angle also recurs in the central quartering. The solid middle triangles as well as the medium-sized ones toward the rim are followed outside their edge (or inside the light rhomboids) by a row of dots. These rows of dots, with faint lines, further extend to the actual rim of the vessel, completing skewed hexagonal shapes of their own (one is heptagonal). The design name given, "b.u.t.terfly," probably applies to the point-to-point large solid triangles, possibly to the rhomboids. On the _outside_, to which the design name "halter face paint" applies, there are eight double-outlined hourgla.s.s triangle pairs, meeting tips solid, the rest of their interiors and the intervening hexagons being stippled with oval, streakish dots. Cf. the outside of _a_.

_e_ has been much rubbed in the middle, but the design toward the rim is allied to those of the bowls in plate 1--triple lines turning back or forking at acute angles. Only the solid small triangles at junctures and ends seem to be lacking. The _outside_ carries 58 vertical stripes averaging about 4 mm. wide.

_g_ is the tallest bowl, with a height-diameter ratio of more than 2/3, due in part to a semiconical bottom. It is considerably worn inside, and food has spilled over and crusted part of the outside. The discernible interior design is in a band below the rim. This is crossed by a series of diagonals sloping downward to the right, with a little solid filling triangle in the acute angle made by the diagonal with the border of the band. In addition, a left-sloping diagonal extends down from the rim to the middle of the right-sloping one, with a filling triangle at the juncture. The _outside_ is continuously covered by what in other vessels was usually called "fish bones"--but here was named (i)yam-tuperta, a face paint--19 columns of downward and 19 of upward pointing zigzags, all points filled in red. Eight such horizontally progressing zigzag lines are still perceptible; there may have been one or two more, but not over ten altogether. This pattern is most effective in a fairly high field (it is common in spoons), such as this tall bowl affords on its exterior.

_h_ has free-standing eight-legged spider figures interspersed with dots. A spider design recurs in plate 3,_i_; and in 3,_j_ a similar figure is called tortoise. The stripes and lines of the _outside_ were called "fish tail"--it is not quite apparent why.

In summary for exterior designs, _a_ and _f_ have hourgla.s.ses, _g_ the zigzag fish bones, the others in this plate "radial" or vertical lines, wholly or partly widened in _e_, _h_ to stripes.

PLATE 3: PLATTERS

Plate 3 shows flat bowls, dishes, or plates, more or less platterlike, sometimes round and sometimes oval. They differ from the bowls of plates 1 and 2 in being lower, in having no neck, and no outcurved rim.

=========================================================== Pl. | No. |D(L) | W | W/L | H| H/D |Th.|Curv.

| | | |(per cent)| |(per cent) | | ------+-----+------+---+----------+--+-----------+---+----- 3,_a_|13784|272 |...| |79| 29 |5.0| 330 | | | | | | | | 3,_b_|13783|283 |...| |88| 31 |5.0| 348 | | | | | | | | 3,_c_|1713 |262 |...| |77| 29 |5.5| 320 | | | | | | | | 3,_d_|1722 |202 |...| |71| 35 |5.5| 270 | | | | | | | | 3,_e_,| | | | | | | | _f_|13785|266 |215| 81 |66| 28+ |6.5| 303 | | | | | | | | 3,_g_|1751 |145* |...| |48| 33 |6.0| 195 | | | | | | | | 3,_h_|13786|166 |147| 89 |59| 38+ |5.5| 217 | | | | | | | | 3,_i_|1738 |157 |135| 86 |43| 29.5+ |5.0| 191 | | | | | | | | 3,_j_|4294 |155 |121| 78 |44| 32+ |5.5| 178 ------+-----+------+---+----------+--+-----------+---+-----

_Note:_ D(L), diameter _or_ greatest length; Th., thickness; Curv., length of tape laid curving along diam. or max. length of under side; *147 long, 143 wide, but round in intent; +Mean of H/L and W/L. All dimensions in mm.

It will be seen that the H/D ratio is from 28 to 38 per cent; whereas that for bowls is from 38 to 68 per cent, with 21 out of 24 between 45 and 61.

Platters _i_ and _j_ were described when collected as "dish-like spoons"

or scoops; _j_, like plate 2,_h_, is from Tokwa?a's household.

_Designs_

As regards painted design, _a_ and _b_ revert to the all-over regular forking of plate 1, but with dark background instead of light or spot-studded, so that the pattern really is negative in effect. It is probably significant that the only two platelike bowls carrying this design should be the only ones to present it negatively. The pattern is well executed in both. It is of course somewhat easier to carry out regularly on a flattish plate than in an up-curving bowl.

_d_ was called "himaka lame?lame, its back leaves" (or "patches"?--cf.

pl. 4,_d_). This presumably refers to the large dot-studded hexagonal areas--hexagonal at least in intent. My notes also name a "t.i.t?ok face-paint" design, which would then be the name of the interconnected hourgla.s.s figures which const.i.tute the primary or positive element of the patterning. The combination of these two design elements recurs on the exterior of the jar of plate 8,_a_. The back or _under_ side of _d_ in the present plate is boldly checkered, as shown in plate 8,_c_. It is possible that the leaf name refers to this checker.

_c_ and _g_ were both designated as fish backbone, which as a pattern we have already encountered on bowl 2,_g_, though there on the outer side and named after a face paint: parallel zigzags with solid-filled angles.

The idea seems to be that of a fish backbone as it might be drawn out with ribs attached--"herringbone" in our own nomenclature. Then 3,_g_ would be the more representational form with the vertebral column left in--though it is also partway transitional to the triple-line angle-and-forking pattern of plate 1 and of 3,_a_,_b_ above. The simpler, merely parallel-chevron form of the design--with the vertebrae omitted--is perhaps more usual, and is shown recurring in _e_ and in plate 4,_f_,_k_. The under side of _c_ has 67 vertical (radiating) lines.--Plate 3,_g_, no. 1751, was obtained from Nyavarup along with no.

1749, plate 4,_o_, which see. Nyavarup, like Tokwa?a, was a historic character, having been encountered by the Ives party in 1858 and mentioned in Mollhausen. In 1902 he told me the creation, which will be published as myth no. 9.

_f_ is the _under_ or convex side of _e_, but its spots (12-14 mm.

diameter) reappear as the sole inside pattern in _h_, and between the tortoises of _j_. The inside dots of _h_ and the outside ones of _f_ were however put on differently: in _h_ in rows across the oval, in _f_ irregularly or perhaps spirally. The under side of _h_ also has dots, fainter than on the front. In _j_ the dots seem inserted with reference to the larger figures of tortoises.

These tortoises of _j_ are definitely similar to the halyto?a spiders of plate 2,_h_, but are also distinctive, with enclosed-line quadrilateral body, 3-toed legs at corners, and head and tail. Both 3,_j_ and 2,_h_ however were made to sell, are more representational than most Mohave pottery paintings, and should be viewed with a degree of reserve, though I believe that their designs have basis in native usage.

3,_i_ as halyto?a, spider, is puzzling as to why its name, and is also abnormal formally.

PLATE 4: SPOONS

These are ladles, dippers, scoops, as one will, but I retain the "spoon"

which the Mohave most often gave as their English term for native kam'ota. They are of course not taken into the mouth, but held to it while gruel flows out; or perhaps more often they serve as a convenient holder of an individual or temporary portion which is scooped into the mouth with two or three fingers which are then sucked off. They also serve to ladle boiled food from large cook pots into bowls or platters.

I give, first, identifications, sizes, and design names; then shapes; and finally a discussion of painted patterns.

_Identifications_

_a_, 13800, length 174 mm.

_b_, 1731, l. 201. Called kas'uyule. Design doubtfully recorded as hotahpave face paint.

_c_, 13802, l. 182.

_d_, 4320, l. 175. Design name: ta-hlame-hlame, "patches," and "b.u.t.terfly inside," humanape iyaly ("in the mouth"?).

_e_, 1736, l. 123; handle hollow, rattling, "tiwitiwit."

_f_, 7098, from older University collections (pre-1901), Mohave provenience a.s.sumed, not recorded; l. 194; handle hollow, rattling.

_g_, 1737, l. 175. Design name: kyauelkyau, "angled, zigzag."

_h_, 13803, l. 225.

_i_, 13805, l. 178.

_j_, 13804, l. 190.

_k_, 1747, l. 186.

_l_, 1730, l. 198. Design name: coyote teeth.

_m_, 13809, l. 207.

_n_, 13810, l. 156.

_o_, 1749, l. 113. Design name: fish backbone. This piece was obtained from Nyavarup: see pl. 3,_g_.