Photographer: Andrea Blumtritt | Rights management: Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
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Avimorph (?), hollow head protome with wall attachment. There are two small openings on the beak of the depicted creature. Both sides of the object have been smoothened and smudged. Its exterior is primed and painted. The primer and paint are heavily eroded. The fragment has a white-yellowish base colour, which was painted black-brown (and red-orange?) on the outside of the object. The largely realistic protome depicts a zoomorphic creature with a hump on its beak (or mouth). There is a round indentation on the top of the skull. According to Lothrop 1926: Nicoya polychrome ware, animal effigy vessel. Cultural significance: the Papagayo Policromo type represents the beginning of polychrome painting on a white-yellowish ground in the Gran Nicoya region. The tradition lasted until the Policromo Tardío (1350-1520d.C.). Their decoration shows a strong Mesoamerican influence. This manifests itself in the replacement of lizard and bat themes by depictions of cats of prey and snakes. Similar protomes are known from the groups Pataky Policromo (1350-1000d.C.), Ulua Policromo (950-550d.C.) and from the Tohil-Plumbat pottery (1200-950d.C.). Some variants of the Papagayo group reached the central Mexican highlands. (Künne 2004)
