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HOME :
Pre-Columbian Art :
Costa Rican Musical Instruments : Guanacaste Monkey Effigy Whistle
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Guanacaste Monkey Effigy Whistle - PF.3121
Origin: Guanacaste, Nicoya, Costa Rica
Circa: 300
BC
to 300
AD
Dimensions:
4" (10.2cm) high
x 3" (7.6cm) wide
Collection: Pre-Columbian
Medium: Terracotta
$600.00
Location: United States
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| Description |
This vessel has been cleverly designed in the
shape of a human figure arrayed as a monkey.
The relative degree of a "human" or "monkey"
seen in this delightful work of art is due to one's
own perception. Some may see it as an obviously
masked human, while others may see it as a
much more ambiguous phenomenon which has
monkey and human characteristics. This vessel
probably depicts a shaman or chieftain-shaman
with a high political and religious status. The
monkey may have been chosen as a symbol of
strength and nobility among animals. It is also
reclusive in nature, a dweller in the high forest
canopy and a striking image when glimpsed with
its human-like arms, legs and face. The monkey
is the closest resembling animal to ourselves,
and it is possible that it was viewed as an
emissary, the all-knowing "eyes and ears" of the
shaman-monkey. Vessels are found in high-
status tombs. This suggests use in a ritual
context. It is a charming work of art with its
small cap adorning its head and its hands on its
hips. This special vessel continues to pass on its
magic and alluring appeal from ancient hands to
the present.
- (PF.3121)
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