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Show 30 stand on the left wing, now commenced a heterogeneous noise, beating the drum, rattling the schischikue, and yelling with all their might. The women began to dance, waddling in short steps, like ducks; the two wings, or horns of the crescent, advanced towards each other, and then receded, at the same time singing in a shrill tone of voice.5 Such a detailed description of this ceremony is invaluable for determining the accuaracy of Bodmer's original sketches and for tracing his method of composition for Tableau 27, Scalp Dance of the Minataries . There are only four sketches of this ceremony in Bodmer's portfolio. The first (Figure 2.1) is very rough and obviously drawn as the ritual was in progress; it describes the circular placement of the of the group, the positioning of the various dancers and musicians, and some of the most detailed aspects of costume.^ This preliminary sketch was more useful for jogging Bodmer's memory of the event than for Maximilian's scientific studies. Bodmer had no time for detail; the event was unfolding before his eyes. A second reference sketch (Figure 2.2) elaborates upon the individual figures of the preliminary sketch, extracting fourteen of the participants and further defining important details of stance and costume.^ These fourteen figures in the reference sketch are grouped to represent particular segments of the circle which had been roughed out in the preliminary sketch. The first group contains four figures at the very center of the dance, including the wife of Itsichaika, holding the scalp suspended on the pole. Partially developed with watercolor, certain details of costume, headdress, and face painting, roughly recorded in the preliminary sketch, are further defined. The second grouping includes rear views of four of the participants at the base of the |
