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Comparative Analysis of Three Analytical Methodologies for Polychrome Design: Ceramic Typology, Design Elements/Styles, and Design Symmetries on Chihuahuan Polychromes

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Abstract

The analysis of pattern design on ceramics, textiles, tile and other plane surfaces remains dominated by typological, design element and stylistic approaches. In this paper, I compare these approaches with a classification system that describes patterns by the geometric symmetries that combine and repeat the pattern parts. I argue that these standard plane pattern symmetry classes enable systematic, objective descriptions of decorated material. I use an analysis of the symmetric structures and colors of designs on whole and partial Chihuahuan polychrome vessels from the Pueblo IV period site of Paquimé (Casas Grandes), Chihuahua, Mexico, to illustrate how a standardized classification system that focuses on the structure of pattern parts rather than on the pattern parts themselves reveals a number of new insights on a body of well-studied material.

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Acknowledgements

Gloria Fenner executed the color pencil drawings and arranged for the Amerind Foundation to prepare a digital scanned copy of these drawings. Linda Stacy undertook the laborious task of scanning these drawings for my analysis. I thank them both for their tireless efforts on behalf of this project. I thank the Amerind Foundation for access to this Archival material. Excel files listing the symmetry and color classifications of each vessel design are available from the author. Susan Ward expertly redrew Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12.

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    Dorothy K. Washburn

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Washburn, D.K. Comparative Analysis of Three Analytical Methodologies for Polychrome Design: Ceramic Typology, Design Elements/Styles, and Design Symmetries on Chihuahuan Polychromes. J Archaeol Method Theory 29, 902–938 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10816-021-09542-6

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