Huetar Culture Animal Effigy Vessel, 900 CE - 1200 CE
Terracotta
2.75 x 3.375
PF.1192
Further images
Though his expression is fierce, the plump body of this creature makes him more charming than fearsome. The short tail and rounded ears suggest that this might possibly be a...
Though his expression is fierce, the plump body of this creature makes him more charming than fearsome. The short tail and rounded ears suggest that this might possibly be a bear, an animal sometimes found as far south as Costa Rica. He evokes for us a culture very aware of the natural world, one for which even the simplest object was worthy of decoration. To hold this little vessel is to touch that vanished world directly.