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...
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 exactness of this victim. The face is very distinguished and carefully painted. The eyes are almond shaped and there are indentations around the eye giving it the appearance that they are bulging. There are some tribal markings on the face, but the more attention is paid to the nose and mouth. The nose is extremely pronounced and the nostrils are flaring out. The mouth is partially opened and the lips are in a pouting expression as if this person is gasping for air. The effect depicts surprise on his face. The back portion of the head has a large symbolic tribal motif of interlacing red lines. The top portion of the vessel is painted in traditional tribal markings in a repetitious pattern.