This fantastic vessel shows a human being costumed as an alligator holding a calabash in each hand. His thick tail gives balance to the entire structure, as do the spread legs, decorated with white circular appliqués to imitate a crocodile's scutes. His face is a masterpiece of realism and abstraction, beautifully revealing fierceness and intelligence in the protruding eyes and very sharp teeth. The decoration is very effective and quite ornate, particularly the triangular patterns on the top portion and the intriguing design on the abdomen. This vessel resembles the iconography of Costa Rican gold jewelry, which shows shamans dressed in ritual crocodile costumes, naked except for select pieces of jewelry such as a necklace. This figure probably represents an actual shaman, or a generic example, seen at his most mysterious playing calabashes in time to drums and dancers attempting to make contact with gods of the other world.