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HOME :
Pre-Columbian Art :
Saurian Deities : Vessel in the Form of the Head of a Saurian Deity
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Vessel in the Form of the Head of a Saurian Deity - PF.3342
Origin: Guanacaste, Nicoya, Costa Rica
Circa: 1000
AD
to 1350
AD
Dimensions:
8.5" (21.6cm) high
Collection: Pre-Columbian
Style: Guanacaste-Nicoya
Medium: Terracotta
$8,600.00
Location: United States
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| Description |
The artist of this grayish-brown effigy vessel has
created an intense work of art in which there are
beautiful geometric patterns and symbols. The
face of this vessel has a combination of
anthropomorphic and crocodile characteristics.
The reason for this was that within the jungle-
like environment in Costa Rica, crocodiles and
humans were cohabitants. The people revered
and feared these animals for their extreme power
and majesty. This vessel was probably the image
of a very powerful person in the community, and
the artistic choice to combine the theme of
crocodile and human shows how powerful this
human actually was. It was probably used on
ceremonial occasions, or ritual worshipping
because the clay balls in the legs make a rattle-
like sound. The almond shaped eyes watch
carefully what is going on around itself Rather
than showing the nose and mouth separately, the
artist combines them into a snout with a
curvilinear nose. The mouth on this vessel
appears to smile at us at the same time, showing
us its sharp teeth. This artist once again
represents to us how powerful the crocodile-
human figure really is. The geometric patterning
on the crown and the base of the vessel are
delicate and playful. The artist of this vessel
creates a symbiotic world where crocodile and
human coexist, forming a sense of majesty.
- (PF.3342)
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