The standing fertility figures of Costa Rica represent some of the most dramatic ceramics of Mesoamerica. A mixture of realism and striking details characterizes this amazing figure. Her rich dark...
The standing fertility figures of Costa Rica represent some of the most dramatic ceramics of Mesoamerica. A mixture of realism and striking details characterizes this amazing figure. Her rich dark brown skin is made even more effective by her nakedness, revealing very broad, powerful hips and straight legs with small feet. Her arms curve in a semi-circle with fingers splayed over the upper abdomen. Her entire body and face are covered in very fine incising, probably intended to represent scarification. Most enticing is her lovely face so beautifully modeled with gentle curves of the cheeks, coffee bean eyes, strong nose and thick, sensuous lips. She is in fact quite voluptuous, exuding a seductive aura bold as her prominent, youthful breasts. Such fertility figures were intended for both male and female; to act as an aphrodisiac for the former and a role model to the latter. For us, she attracts our fascinations at once-- cultural artifact, work of art, and simply an object to admire and enjoy for a lifetime.