Every culture has its own way of expressing and understanding the cosmos, life and the human condition. What to us may appear pure fantasy may have had deep significance for a people long ago. In place of a written language, images and symbols were used to communicate ideas and to promote certain ways of thinking. Seeing something so extraordinary as this vessel immediately immerses us in a strange and fantastic realm. Combined in a single conceptual unit, the zoomorphic image has three distinct aspects. The head resembles both a stylized bat and a mythological creature, similar to gargoyles of medieval Europe. Its sharp teeth are exposed menacingly; its eyes flare as dark holes, with black circles painted around them for greater emphasis. Winged extensions resemble hair, balanced by the three horns on the head. The wings stretching out on both sides, which the creature holds with its claws, further emphasize the bat image. On the lower portion there is a penis and testicles represent a human attribute; a feature often used in large vessels. Thus we find animal, man and mythical beast in one form, beautifully unified by the geometric pattern on the front and back. These aspects show human existence (procreation), nature and the supernatural- three features that represent the knowledge and character of the shaman of Costa Rica. The presence of this beautiful vessel will always intrigue, and allow us an opportunity to enter into the mysterious world of the ancient sorcerer.