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Clay vessel

Small, ovaloid jug with a hollow base and flowing neck. The object has been smoothed and polished on both sides. Its exterior is incised, primed and polished. The carvings were deepened before the heavily eroded primer was applied. The restored object has many broken and missing parts. The ceramic has a white-yellowish base colour. The body is decorated with a central, circumferential frieze depicting two snake-like creatures standing opposite each other. They wear a rectangular collar at the base of their heads, which is cross-hatched. The carved figures open their mouths. They are separated from each other by two opposing, flower-like incisions. The frieze is bordered by two surrounding motif bands, which show stepped elements. Vertical bundles of lines appear on the lower parts of the body. The base of the pedestal is marked by a circumferential bulge. Symbolic meaning: According to Lehmann 1913: "Nicarao style". According to Lothrop 1926: Nicoya polychrome ware, under slip incised ware. Cultural significance: the type has a wide range of iconographic decorations. Some motifs have clear parallels to the post-classical imagery of the central Mexican highlands. The group is also characterised by the rare use of blue paint. The diagnostic criterion of the variant consists of incisions made before the priming. (Künne 2004)

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Data Provider
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Cataloguing data

Object type
crock
Dimensions
Diameter: 9,3 cm
Height: 19,3 cm
Depth: 15,3 cm
Width: 15,3 cm
Wandstärke: 0,55 cm
Material/Technique
Sound
Current location
Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Inventory number
IV Ca 48515

Provenance and sources

  • Production
    when
    Policromo Tardío (1350 - 1550)
    where
    Costa Rica
  • Assignment to a curated holding:
    American Archaeology

Information about the record

Legal status metadata
CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED
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