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What is a Heartline?
The heartline is used primarily by Zuni Pueblo potters and can be seen in many animals – usually a deer, called a Heartline Deer. The line from the mouth to the heart signifies the "breath of life."
Specifically, the heartline deer motif is an innovation of the 1860-1870 period (see image below). It was previously referred to as an antelope, the meaning of which was provided by John G. Bourke in 1881:
The line running down from the animal's mouth and terminating at its heart may be described as a "prayer." It is a pictographic invocation to the "spirit of the antelope" to incline the hearts of the antelope on earth to put themselves in the way of the Zunis that they may kill them for food. I made careful inquiries upon this point and know that I have obtained the correct explanation.