A work of art is in itself a phenomenon. It is
something that is both aesthetically beautiful,
intense in energy, and possessing an element of
mystery. The metates of Ancient Costa Rica were
created for two basic reasons: as domestic
objects used for grinding corn, and as ritual
sculptures for the elite to be interred with in
burial chambers. Both functions can be seen as
one in that life is a cycle of birth (growth), death
and re-birth, all in a continuous flow,
symbolized by the circular shape of the metate.
This fantastic metate is rich in remarkable
sculptural detail. There are three figures in the
form of alligators holding up the top portion. The
alligator symbolized the earth's surface, which is
rough and smooth, impenetrable and soft. In
between the alligators are mace heads, which
represent aggression and war. We see here the
violent and volatile world of the jungle with its
dangerous and beautiful animals coupled with
the brutal reality of warfare; and yet surmounted
by the serene circle of heaven. This image is
exactly what the elite classes wished to project to
the people: that they will be protected from the
dangers of the physical world with the promise
of a peaceful afterlife through the courage and
influence of those who ruled them. This
wonderful and very lovely metate possesses the
three requirements of art, and as a result it has
its own life and innate power, which is beyond
this world.
- (PF.4596)
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