From this beautifully created representation
flows the emotions and personality of this deity
and the lifestyle it led. The huge face is the most
obvious and prominent representation of a
particular deity. It may have been a reference to
the Mexican god of rain, Tlaloc who was very
powerful. The eyes look like sun disks,
symbolizing this deity is eternal, and as mighty
as the sun. Another symbolic representation that
this deity is everlasting is the two bands of
intertwining color on the back of the pot. The
interplay of orange and white twists upon itself
and creates a world where life and death are
symbiotic. The patterning of the crocodile figures
on the base of the vessel is repeated,
representing the power and tremendous strength
this deity possesses as well as the animal this
culture worshipped. Other animal shapes on the
vessel are heads of jaguars, an animal truly loved
by this culture for its symbolism and its beauty.
The nose, mouth, and ears are the only
protruding objects on the entire work of art. This
represents the power this deity holds upon the
owner of this vase. The deity is omniscient, able
to hear all, smell all, and taste the world around
it. There is no fooling this deity into evil or
kindness. The artist has created an almost
realistic being, capable of coming to life at any
minute through the colors, detail of facial
expression, banding on the front as well as
reverse sides of the vessel, and the precision of
form. The face of the deity, the patterned
crocodiles, and the bands of jaguar heads show
the many symbols of worship of this Costa Rican
culture. This artist has succeeded in opening up
our minds to a higher world through a skillful
composition.
- (PF.3414)
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