Pre-Columbian, Costa Rica, Nicoya culture, ca. 800 to 1200 CE. A large, round bowl with wonderfully bright painted decoration of abstract zoomorphic figures - scorpions and birds - in an alternating ring around the interior of the rim. Bands of black, orange, and red pigment over a cream-slipped background complete the interior and the upper exterior. The underside is round and unpainted, as if the bowl was meant to be placed in sandy soil rather than displayed on a table. Size: 9.1" W x 4" H (23.1 cm x 10.2 cm)

The iconography of the scorpion and hummingbird are common ones for the Nicoya, and indeed for the Mesoamerican civilizations they were just south of. The hummingbird is often paired with eagles and hawks, symbols of the sun and warfare - indeed, the persistent, whirring flight of the hummingbird was often compared to the movement of the sun across the sky. Their sharp beaks mimic the bloodletting instruments used in ritual. The scorpion, meanwhile, was famous and feared for its sting. A bowl like this one was made to place offerings in a tomb.

Provenance: Ex-private E. Vaught Collection, Atlanta, GA

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#120735

Intact, with incredible bright remaining pigment with only slight signs of wear. Small areas of deposits/encrustation on exterior and interior.