Terracotta Polychrome Vessel Of A Seated Figure

The beautiful designs on this vessel express the richness of the Costa Rican culture. Sometimes these motifs represent exceptional feats accomplished by members of the tribe or the patterns are symbolic to the surrounding nature of the jungle. This particular vessel is a beautiful rendering of the intricate pattern work from this culture. The motifs start at the top of the mouth rim with narrow bands and slowly the bands become larger. The center of the vessel has a design that is rendered in a stylized masked bird motif. Most probably this animal that is represented in the motif symbolizes the contents of this vessel. It is painted on a white slip. The red, oranges and blacks are highly defined and pronounced. This effect gives the vessel a quality of importance and is a reminder to us that this vessel is an integral piece to understand the beliefs of the Costa Ricans.