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Clay figure

Small, bimorph sculpture in the shape of a seated feline predator (jaguar?). The hollow figure holds both arms on its hips and stretches out its legs. There are small openings at the back of the head and on the buttocks. Models were used to make the object. The ceramic has been smoothed, slurried, primed, painted and highly polished. The primer and paint are partially eroded. The sculpture has a white-brownish base colour, which was painted black-brown and red. On the legs, shoulders and head are fields with geometric motifs showing volutes, dots and circles. They seem to imitate the fur pattern of a cat of prey. Although the creature depicted has a zoomorphic head, its posture indicates anthropomorphic characteristics. 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 anthropomorphic figures of the Guabal variant show greater representational schematism compared to the anthropomorphic sculptures of the zoned bicoloured pottery (Rosales Esgrafiado) and the Policromo Antiguo (Galo Policromo group). (Künne 2004)

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Data Provider
Ethnologisches Museum
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Cataloguing data

Object type
Clay figure
Dimensions
Objektmaß: 11 x 8,2 x 8,9 cm
Material/Technique
Sound
Current location
Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Inventory number
IV Ca 41603

Provenance and sources

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

who
Lehmann, Walter - Collectors

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