Elaborate effigy grinding stones such as this
magnificent ceremonial jaguar metate were the
most important ritual objects of their time in
Costa Rica. They served as a burial item for
wealthy, high-status members of society. The
metate as a grinding stone in every-day life had
the tranformative 'power' to change a seed or
kernel into flour. Because of this power, it
became a symbol of transformation in the
human life cycle. When the metate was placed in
a tomb it represented the human transformation
of rebirth, the beginning of a new life cycle. The
purely ceremonial function of this particular
metate is attested to by the unpolished surface
of the grinding area. The ancient beauty,
strength and dynamism this jaguar effigy exuded
in the past can still be seen and experienced
today. Its powerfully carved head with snarling
teeth flared nostrils, the curled tail that appears
to have just this moment swung to the side and
attached itself to the back leg, 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 continues into the
present for its power and beauty is still a joy to
behold.
- (PF.2288)
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