Costa Rican Stone Ceremonial Axe Topped by a Skull, 500 CE - 1000 CE
Stone
height 26.7 cm
height 10 1/2 in
height 10 1/2 in
SP.503
Further images
Human heads are ubiquitous in the Pre-Columbian iconography of Costa Rica and neighbouring areas of Panama. This green stone was thought to symbolise that vital life force that sustains us...
Human heads are ubiquitous in the Pre-Columbian iconography of Costa Rica and neighbouring areas of Panama.
This green stone was thought to symbolise that vital life force that sustains us all. The color green is naturally associated with verdant plant life. Specifically, this colour was thought to symbolise the sprouting maize plant, that staple of the Pre-Columbian diet. It has also been suggested that it could represent water. Either way, we can be certain that green stones represented the very essence of life itself.
This green stone was thought to symbolise that vital life force that sustains us all. The color green is naturally associated with verdant plant life. Specifically, this colour was thought to symbolise the sprouting maize plant, that staple of the Pre-Columbian diet. It has also been suggested that it could represent water. Either way, we can be certain that green stones represented the very essence of life itself.