Seen from above, the surface of this beautiful metate appears like an expanse of volcanic earth. Its rough and porous texture can be felt with the senses; even with the eyes as they glide around, then downwards to the two jaguars resting comfortably at the base. These graceful beasts may seem at rest but they were considered by the Costa Ricans as the most powerful animal on earth and revered as such. The metates performed a dual purpose. They were used to grind seeds or kernels into flour and also placed in tombs to represent human regeneration and a new life cycle. This object responds to our touch, as it must have for women preparing their meals. There is a powerful aura of earth and vegetation that can almost be feeling, and a sense of a people long past who still live on in such a remarkable work of art as this.