The Costa Ricans were a valiant people. They believed in taking the heads of their enemies and immortalizing them in stone or clay. This trophy head is very unique due...
The Costa Ricans were a valiant people. They believed in taking the heads of their enemies and immortalizing them in stone or clay. This trophy head is very unique due to the attributes of the face. The face resembles the true depiction of what the prisoner looked like. The mouth is partially opened and the nose is aquiline and has prominent nostrils. The eyes are almond shaped and deep grooves create a vivid image of the vitality they once possessed. The top of the head features a long vessel style mouth rim that is flanked by two heads of birds. Each head is identical in design. They are orange in color. The beaks serve as handles to lift this vessel from place to place. The entire work of art is covered in tribal etchings. The designs are geometric in style and were engraved onto the clay with precision.