Kneeling Male With Child Sculpture

The masterpiece we are dealing with here extends much further than the incredible rendering of this artist's craftsmanship. This piece gives clues to the domestic and social lives of the Costa Ricans and the role men played with their children. This fine work of art is beautifully designed with engravings etched on black glaze and filled in with a white pigment. The markings are of tribal patterns. The young child is seated on the fathers lap in a playful manner. He is kicking his feet forward in attempts to run off and play. The father's hands are gently holding the boy to him. Each figure has the same facial expression. It is as if they are watching a ritual taking place. Their eyes are wide-open and staring straight forward. The father is wearing a mushroom-styled cap while the boy is wearing a crown-like headdress. The picture these two make is familiar in our understanding of the family unit. The Costa Ricans express the importance of fertility and procreation, however, this is a rare glimpse of the portrayal of family life that before we could only speculate about.