Fine Costa Rican Polychrome Pottery Bird Vessel
Fine Costa Rican Polychrome Pottery Bird Vessel
Fine Costa Rican Polychrome Pottery Bird Vessel
Fine Costa Rican Polychrome Pottery Bird Vessel
Fine Costa Rican Polychrome Pottery Bird Vessel
Fine Costa Rican Polychrome Pottery Bird Vessel
Fine Costa Rican Polychrome Pottery Bird Vessel

Fine Costa Rican Polychrome Pottery Bird Vessel

15582

Regular price$1,250.00
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Greater Nicoya, Papagoya, Culebra Variety  Period V  Ca. 800 to 1000 AD

This urn shows classic Pre-Columbian Costa Rican ceramic artistry, particularly from the Papagoya tradition.  The vessel features several distinct decorative zones with geometric and zoomorphic motifs painted in earth tones of orange, black, and beige. The top rim has vertical striping, followed by a band of stepped fret patterns, which were common Mesoamerican design elements representing universal balance. The main decorative panel contains stylized animal figures and abstract geometric patterns that held deep spiritual significance. The bird-like head protruding from the vessel is particularly notable, as birds held special meaning in Pre-Columbian Costa Rican culture as they were believed to be able to communicate between earthly and heavenly realms.

This style of pottery wasn't merely decorative - it served both practical and ceremonial purposes. The intricate designs and animal symbolism were ways to express religious beliefs and cultural values. The combination of geometric patterns and zoomorphic elements shows the influence of both Maya and Aztec artistic traditions that were prevalent in Papagoya pottery.
The pottery demonstrates the sophisticated painting technique characteristic of the period, using mineral-based pigments in earth tones. The design is organized in horizontal bands, with careful attention to symmetry and balance in the overall composition. The vessel's form and painted decoration suggest it was likely used for ceremonial or high-status purposes rather than daily use.
The preservation of these design elements and motifs represents an important connection to Pre-Columbian Costa Rican spiritual and cultural traditions, where pottery served as both functional vessels and carriers of religious and social meaning.

Size  6 inches (15.4cm) H.

Provenance: Ex collection of Stanley L. Kaufman, a Harvard educated lawyer who specialized in bringing suits on behalf of corporations' disgruntled stockholders, died in 1993 at the age of 81. He was a staff attorney with the Securities and Exchange Commission before World War II, then served in the Army in Europe and rose to captain. In 1946 he became a founding partner in his law firm, Kaufman Malchman, Kaufmann & Kirby, which had branches in NYC and Los Angeles. He and his wife, Sigrun Rampoldt, were avid collectors of Pre-Columbian art throughout the 60s and early 70s, and lived on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. 

All pieces are unconditionally guaranteed authentic and as described in perpetuity and have been legally acquired and imported in full accordance with U.S. and applicable foreign regulations regarding the movement and sale of antiquities.

A signed guarantee of authenticity with a description and photograph of the item(s) accompanies this object.

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