ETHNOGRAPHICAL MUSEUM, BERLIN
PL. XXXIV
BIRD HEAD OF WOOD WITH MOSAIC DECORATION
MUSEUM, GOTHA
PL. XXXV
ANIMAL FIGURE OF WOOD WITH MOSAIC DECORATION
BRITISH MUSEUM, LONDON
One of the most interesting specimens is reproduced in pl. XXVI, which is 14⅞ inches in diameter. This is the only shield of the series bearing a figure. It had four pointers, which suggest a sun disc, but the symbol seems clearly to be a conventional cross-section of a conch-shell, the well-known and often delineated symbol of Ehecatl, god of the air, one of the various attributes of the god Quetzalcoatl. In this example the light pieces of stone are larger than in any other piece, but they are cut exceedingly thin. Around the outer edge of the mosaic is a faint incised line, and three lines may be seen projecting from the pointers, showing that the artist carried his guide-lines beyond the zone finally used. The circular line is so regular that there is no doubt that the workman used our methods, tying a piece of cord to an awl and working from the exact center of the shield.