Title: The American Museum journal
Identifier: americanmuseumjo04amer (find matches)
Year: c1900-(1918) (c190s)
Authors: American Museum of Natural History
Subjects: Natural history
Publisher: New York : American Museum of Natural History
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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36 PRIMITIVE ART ing. It is called the "bridle," because Mexican bridles have on either side of the bit a figure resembling one of these scrolls. It is also inter- preted as the linking of hands. The decorative ele- ment shown in the figure below is interpreted as the steel for striking fire. It is considered as an ornamental elaboration of lllllllllllillilllllllllllllllllMllllllllllllllllUllllllltlllllllllllllllllllllll riiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii"""'""' ■■iiiiiiiii' iiiiiiiiiiiiiii the form of steel used in this region. The arbitrary character of the interpretations given by these people may be seen in the elaboration of this design, which is sometimes developed into a continuous band, and is then explained as a vine and flowers. A
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very frequent element of decoration is shown below, and is inter- preted as roots of plants. The transition from these forms to more reaHstic ones is very gradual. The simple geometrical forms are combined into plant designs, and, in their most symmet- rical arrangement, to flower de- signs. To these are added some- times realistic representations of double-headed birds, of mountain- lions and of other animals. Long narrow ribbons covered with de- signs of this character are generally described as serpents, the design indicating the marks on the serpent's back.

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