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Clay vessel

Ovaloid jug with a hollow base. There is a hollow, avimorph head protome on the body. The object has been smoothed, slurried and primed on both sides. Its exterior is polychrome painted and polished. The primer and paint are partially eroded. The restored object has several cracks, fractures and flaws. The pottery has a white-yellowish base colour, which is painted red, orange and black-brown on the outside of the vessel. The object is decorated on both sides with a red band around the rim. There is an upright frieze running around the body. It shows two red, snake-like creatures, which Lothrop (1926) interprets as feathered serpents. Both depictions are separated from each other by an avimorphic head protome. The central parts of the body and the base are decorated with red bands. Irregular traces of a white-yellowish primer are visible on the inside of the pottery. According to Bransford 1881: Sta. Helena ware. According to Lothrop 1926: highland polychrome ware, plumed serpent, type A. 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.). Its decoration shows a strong Mesoamerican influence. This manifested itself in the replacement of lizard and bat themes with depictions of cats of prey and snakes. The ceramics served as supra-regional trade goods. (Künne 2004)

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Data Provider
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Cataloguing data

Object type
crock
Dimensions
Height: 17,3 cm
Depth: 16 cm
Width: 15,5 cm
Wandstärke: 0,9 cm
Diameter: 7,1 cm
Material/Technique
Sound
Current location
Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Inventory number
IV Ca 45813

Provenance and sources

  • Production
    when
    Policromo Medio (800 - 1350)
    where
    Costa Rica
    Guanacaste
    Santa Cruz
    Santa Bárbara
  • Assignment to a curated holding:
    American Archaeology

Information about the record

Legal status metadata
CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED
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