The name of this item is missing in its original language. If you know the name or have any comments, please use the form to get in touch with the institution that provided the data.
Fragment of a clay vessel

Hollow, zoomorphic head protome with wall attachment. The largely realistic protome has two small, opposing openings on the chin. The lower jaw was connected to two bent arms belonging to the creature depicted. The fragment has been smoothed, sanded and primed on both sides. Its exterior is painted in polychrome and lightly polished. The primer and paint are partially eroded. One arm is completely fragmented. The ceramic is primed twice. It has a white-yellowish covering colour, which was applied on a red background. The outside of the object is painted black-brown and red. The elongated head protome depicts an armadillo grasping its chin with both front legs. Irregular traces of a white-yellowish covering colour are visible on the inside of the pottery. According to Lehmann 1913: "Chorotega style." According to Lothrop 1926: Nicoya polychrome ware, animal effigy vessel. Cultural significance: according to Snarskis (1983: 65) and Lange (2003, pers. comm.), the Pataky group displaced Papagayo pottery in the Gran Nicoya region between 1250 and 1150d.C.. Their decoration shows a strong Mesoamerican influence. According to Lothrop (1926), the diagnostic motifs consist of the "silhouette jaguar, type B" and the "plumed serpent, type C". The same motifs are also known from folding books made in the Postclassic Mixteca-Puebla style (1520-1200d.C.). The group mainly appears in burials. From a formal and stylistic perspective, the Mayer variant occupies an intermediate position to the Papagayo Policromo (1350-800d.C.) and Pataky Policromo groups. Similar protomes also occur in Pacific Central America in the Ulua Policromo group (950-550d.C.) and in the Tohil-Plumbat pottery (1200-950d.C.). (Künne 2004)

This content was machine-translated
Data Provider
Ethnologisches Museum
Show only fields containing data

Cataloguing data

Object type
Fragment of a clay vessel
Dimensions
Objektmaß: 11,1 x 7,4 x 9 cm
Material/Technique
Sound
Current location
Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Inventory number
IV Ca 45521 a

Provenance and sources

when
Policromo Medio (800 - 1350)
where
Costa Rica
Guanacaste [Provinz]
Santa Cruz [Kanton]
Santa Bárbara [Ort]

who
Lehmann, Walter - Former Possessors

Secondary literature
IV Ca 45521 b, Fragment eines Tongefäßes, Policromo Medio (800 - 1350), José Maria Velasco (1909)
https://id.smb.museum/object/739330
IV Ca 45521 b, Fragment eines Tongefäßes, Policromo Medio (800 - 1350), José Maria Velasco (1909)

Information about the record

Legal status metadata
This content was machine-translated
2.1.1 / 7.1