To the Costa Ricans, human head effigy vessels represented a prisoner of war or a sacrificial victim. These vessels are known as trophy heads. The artist's craftsmanship captures the realistic nature of this piece. The artist took considerable time to depict the exact likeness of this victim. The face is very distinguished and carefully rendered. This masterpiece has a reddish-brown slip and the features are molded into the clay. The head is supported on a base that is designed with tribal patterns of red wavy lines. A raised square frames the face and impresses upon the viewer to focus on the facial features. The eyes are bulging and give the sense that this person was shocked by the oncoming threat of his death. The eyebrows are raised and painted black. The nose is aquiline and indicative of Costa Rican features. The lips of the mouth are pulled back revealing a set of teeth. The image is similar to grinding your teeth together in anger or frustration. The vessel has a short neck that opens into a wider mouth rim in order to make the vessel more functional. Tribal designs and symbolic motifs are covering the entire exposed surface on the vessel's neck.