Rising from a pedestal base the sides of this vessel flare dramatically into a wide rim. The interior design shows a highly abstract saurian (lizard) motif characteristic of Cocle artists. Bold red lines curve and twist within and around others of black and violet. Short slashes of black along some bands represent scales of a lizard, and also have an effect of giving the entire pattern a feeling of movement and flowing energy. Double-headed serpents in conjoining forms seen in profile reflect a belief in the duality of nature, the joining of negative and positive energies into a single whole. This principle of the 'union of opposites' lies at the core of shaman practices in Panama and other parts of Meso-America. It is known that shaman/healers were also artists who created objects for their own use. The contrast between the stark, unadorned orange slip of the base and the interior of this lovely bowl is dramatic and visually exciting. There is a sense of an exotic flower opening up to reveal its mysteries, held in a never-ending flow of color and light.