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Stonemasonry

Large, decorated grating table. The stone tool consists of a curved, rectangular worktop and three trapezoidal legs with a small base. A cat-like head protome is attached to the one-legged narrow side of the object. It has two round, sunken eyes and a small, open mouth. The forehead of the depicted creature is decorated with an engraved band. Above the temples are two small, upturned ears. The face is depicted from a frontal perspective. The upper and lateral parts of the cuboid protome are decorated with geometric engravings that do not correspond to the natural fur pattern of the species. The underside of the sculptural decoration has been hollowed out and smoothed. The upper, lower and lateral surfaces of the base stone are decorated with engraved geometric motifs. The three legs of the object also feature round holes and oval perforations. The two opposing legs differ from the single support, which is more massive, longer and more inclined. While the insides of the rear legs were left undecorated, the single support element was engraved on all sides. It has four frontal holes and a strong lateral inclination, which are particularly eye-catching. The work surface of the rubbing table shows clear signs of use. There is chipping and abrasion on the corners and edges of the object. The engraved decoration is slightly eroded. The plate decorations have been partially levelled. (Künne 2005) Further information on the social, symbolic and cultural significance, as well as on the find context and periodisation could not be integrated into the long description due to technical problems at Museum Plus.

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Data Provider
Ethnologisches Museum Show original at data provider

Cataloguing data

Object type
Stonemasonry
Dimensions
Length: 37 cm
Wandstärke: (Arbeits-/Sitzfläche) 3 cm
Andere Maße: Wölbung der Arbeits-/Sitzfläche: 4,5 cm
Height: 29 cm
Depth: 49,5 cm
Width: 22,5 cm
Material/Technique
Stone
Current location
Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Inventory number
IV Ca 41854

Provenance and sources

  • Production
    when
    500 - 800
    where
    Costa Rica
    Cartago
    Faldas del Irazú
  • Assignment to a curated holding:
    American Archaeology

Information about the record

Legal status metadata
CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED
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