Monumental zoomorphic-effigy grinding stones
such as this magnificent stone jaguar metate
were the most important ritual objects of their
time in Costa Rica. Exquisitely carved from a
single piece of volcanic rock with only stone and
wood tools plus abrasives, these metates exhibit
remarkably graceful lines and proportion. Like
an mankind, the Ancient Costa Ricans sought to
relieve the uncertainties of death. This quest for
immortality and a reverence for ancestors led to
elaborate burial practices. This powerful metate
functioned as a special burial item, its presence
in the tomb insuring the deceased of an eventual
rebirth, the beginning of a new life. The metate
symbolized this transformation because of its
every-day utilitarian function as a grinding
stone, transforming a seed or kernel into flour.
The ancient beauty, strength and dynamism that
this jaguar effigy exuded in the past can still be
seen and experienced today. Its powerfully
carved head with snarling teeth and flared
nostrils, the curled tail caught in suspended
motion, the slightly bent legs with their
energetically carved geometric patterns, all
combine to give this feline a timeless artistic
dynamism. In fact, the creativity evidenced in
this piece and other ceremonial metates of its
time contributed to the creation of the first
freestanding sculpture in the region. The legacy
of this jaguar most surely continues into the
present for its power and beauty is still a joy to
behold.
- (PF.2394)
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