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. This masterpiece has a deep rich reddish-brown slip and the features are painted in white, black and brown. The eyes are almond shaped and set deep within the eye sockets. The eyebrows are raised and painted black creating a sinister appearance. There is a distinct tribal design on the face, which looks like an outline of a bird with its wings spread. This design begins on one cheek and passes over the nose to the other side. It is painted in white and outlined in black. This design also goes across the forehead. The nose is aquiline and indicative of Costa Rican features. The mouth is in a half smile and the lips protrude ever so slightly. The head is situated upon a elegantly shaped neck which gently becomes the base of this piece. The neck has a beautiful beaded necklace with a pendant that is whitish in color. The earlobes are exaggerated and contain pierces. The head is covered in a type of helmet worn for protection. This effigy head is an incredible representation of the people of Costa Rica.