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Clay vessel

Three-legged, ovaloid jug with a flowing neck. The object has a high, concave neck with a slightly protruding rim. There is a high, zoomorphic head protome on the body. The ceramic was smoothed, slurried and primed on both sides. Its exterior is polychrome painted and polished. The painting is slightly eroded. The object has a white-yellowish base colour, which was painted red, orange, brown and black-brown on the outside of the vessel. There is a black-brown band around the rim. Exterior: the neck is decorated with three circumferential friezes. They show serrated arch motifs, stepped elements and the structures of textile or wickerwork. On the body is an upright, avimorphic head protome. Beneath it appears a medium-sized, circumferential frieze, which also alludes to the structures of textile or wickerwork. It is bordered by horizontal red bands. The legs repeat the shape and decoration of the zoomorphic head protome. Irregular traces of a white-yellowish primer are visible on the inside of the ceramic. There is a high, circumferential band on the neck. According to Lothrop 1926: highland polychrome ware, conventionalised serpent motif, type I. Cultural significance: the Birmania Policromo (1350-1000d.C.) and Altiplano Policromo (1350-800d.C.) types were produced exclusively in the south of the Gran Nicoya region and traded to the Central Highlands and the Atlantic region of Costa Rica. Their ceramics are known both from burials and from settlement contexts. They are characterised by their wide range of colours and fine lines. Both groups are often associated with each other. (Künne 2004)

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Data Provider
Ethnologisches Museum Show original at data provider

Cataloguing data

Object type
crock
Dimensions
Diameter: 9,5 cm
Wandstärke: 0,74 cm
Height: 20,6 cm
Depth: 20,1 cm
Width: 16,4 cm
Weight: 1,2 kg
Material/Technique
Sound
Current location
Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Inventory number
IV Ca 41132

Provenance and sources

  • Production
    when
    Policromo Medio (800 - 1350)
    where
    Costa Rica
    Guanacaste
    Santa Cruz
    Santa Bárbara
  • Change of legal title:
    Acquisition
    Description
    Purchase from Walter Lehmann 1909
  • Assignment to a curated holding:
    American Archaeology

Information about the record

Legal status metadata
CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED
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