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HOME :
Pre-Columbian Art :
Costa Rican Animal Sculptures : Guanacaste Sculpture of a Monkey Carrying a Vessel
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Guanacaste Sculpture of a Monkey Carrying a Vessel - PF.3801
Origin: Guanacaste Zone, Costa Rica
Circa: 500
AD
to 800
AD
Dimensions:
5.5" (14.0cm) high
x 4" (10.2cm) wide
Collection: Pre-Columbian
Medium: Terracotta
$900.00
Location: United States
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| Description |
Seated comfortably on his "tail" this charming
figure carries a bowl perched on his right
shoulder. His left hand, or paw, is placed on the
middle portion of his left side. This positioning
of the hand is the same in similar figures; which
occasionally have both hands exactly centered to
leave the stomach area prominent. Another
characteristic feature is the "button", or
appliquéd circle on the corner of the mouth,
which may represent an inflammation or sore.
The unusual hat, resembling a mushroom cap, is
incised with lines and marked by small holes. It is
possible this figure is part of a group of
sculptures related to shaman practice of healing,
as evidenced by the swollen belly and signs of
disease. Art in Meso-America was used as a
medium to depict physical conditions, as well as
states of mind, and acted as a form of
"sympathetic" magic to help people with a variety
of complaints. For us the fascination is both
aesthetic and cultural, with a dash of mystery at
being in the presence of something defying
precise explanation.
- (PF.3801)
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