Photographer: | Rights management: Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
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Small, bimorph vascular flute with an inflated resonating body and two massive feet. The bird-like instrument has two massive wing tips and an anthropomorphic head. It has two finger holes and a long, conical mouthpiece. A ribbon-shaped eyelet is attached to the lower jaw of the figure, which was used for suspension. The pottery was smoothed, slurried, primed, painted and lightly polished. The primer and paint are partially eroded. There is a small break at the head. The ceramic has a light brown base colour, which is painted red and black-brown. On the back of the instrument is a black, trapezoidal image field that imitates the structures of textile or wickerwork. The mouthpiece, eyelet and lower jaw are painted red. The base is decorated with a surrounding red band. The anthropomorphic face has been flattened and is painted black and brown. According to Lothrop 1926: highland polychrome ware. Cultural significance: the pottery of the Mora group was produced in the north-west of Costa Rica and traded to the Central Highlands and the Atlantic region of the country. It uses design elements (seated anthropomorphic figures with headdresses, mat motif, Kan cross) that are also known from the Maya ceramics (Copador group) of the Clásico Tardío (900-600d.C.). The variant is related to the Gillén Negro sobre café claro (1350-1000d.C.) and Palmira Policromo (1350-1000d.C.) groups. (Künne 2004)
