Pre-Columbian, Costa Rica, Nicoya Peninsula, ca. 1000 to 1500 CE. A tall and vibrantly painted footed vessel of a globular form, with several registers of decorative and iconographic motifs, of the Pataky polychrome variety, in red, orange, cocoa, and cream hues outlined in black - including an upper and lower narrow band of interlocking step motifs, two wide bands of abstract zoomorphic creatures (including visages of the mighty jaguar), one band featuring panels of abstract vertical feather or tree motifs alternating with panels of vertical striations - all registers separated via horizontal bands of solid colors serving to unify the complex composition. A wonderful example from the ancients of Costa Rica! Size: 8.5" W x 10.25" H (21.6 cm x 26 cm)

Jaguar imagery symbolized power and might throughout the Pre-Columbian world. Warriors, rulers, hunters, and shamans alike associated themselves with this king of beasts, the largest and most powerful feline in the New World. A nocturnal animal, the jaguar sleeps in caves and dark places and creeps quietly in the forest, evoking great mystery.

Provenance: Whisnant Gallery, New Orleans, Louisiana, acquired over twenty years ago

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#123001

Base repaired from several pieces and reattached. Losses to perimeter of base and rim as shown. Expected surface wear with some pigment loss and scratches. Liberal manganese deposits.