Vessel Depicting the Head of Tlaloc, 800 CE - 1550 CE
Terracotta
9
PF.4249
Further images
The attraction of using a white slip enabled the artist to bring out symbolic designs and themes which made it distinctive and easy to read. The face is supported on...
The attraction of using a white slip enabled the artist to bring out symbolic designs and themes which made it distinctive and easy to read. The face is supported on a base that was painted to resemble the neck. It has segments of orange paint with black lines are reminiscent of the tattoos used by that culture. The mouth is unusual in shape. Only the upper lip is molded and raised. The lower lip is red and painted on in the shape of an animal whose paws border the top lip. There are three red curls that represent facial hair which begin just under the adorned earlobes. The striking tribal motif on the backside of the vessel depicts a ritual design. The most prominent feature of the face is the eyes that are sunken into the sockets and painted black outlined in orange paint and then further decorated by black lines. The beautiful rendering of this face is a wonderful example of the craftsmanship of the people from the Nicoya area. The round eye effigy face is painted on a white slip and the face is said to represent the rain God Tlaloc. Due to the long endurance of the face effigy theme and because of artist interpretation of this theme an abstraction of the facial features occurred when they were once very realistic. Today we can enjoy the mutation with awe and respect.