King Vulture Pottery Vessel

This later-era pot from Costa Rica’s Gran Nicoya Archeological area of the present day Guanacaste region, was a highly prized object that was traded throughout this large geographical culture area and even beyond, such vessels having been found as far north as present-day Guatemala and Mexico. The aesthetic and colour tones of such poly-chrome pots from this time period are notable for their ever-increasing finesse, vibrant tones, perfection of form and abstraction.

The figure incorporated into this pot is the mythic king vulture, its stylized wings by its side painted directly on the pot’s surface. Decorating the neck and certain zones of this piece are clear depictions of Mesoamerican deities – references to the feathered serpent and jaguars.