A Costa Rican Decorated Stone Metate, ca. 800 - 1200 CE
PS2305
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The metate is a type of grinding platform found in the ancient Americas; its forms vary from simple utilitarian to highly decorated ceremonial models. The curved grinding plate on this volcanic stone metate is decorated on the underside in raised relief with a central stylized figure having a human body and rectangular head, with the front leg incorporated as a long snout. The edge of the plate features a wide herringbone border. The plate stands on three cylindrical legs for stability, decorated with raised lines.
All materials that needed grinding were done using a metate, including maize, cacao, and slip pigments. The metate and mano were carved out of various types of porous volcanic rock, often microdiorite or andesite. The rough and brittle surface, usually made rougher by weathering, actually assisted with the grinding, making it easier to break down tough or fibrous materials.
For a related example in the Michael C. Carlos Museum, see Rebecca Stone-Miller, Seeing with New Eyes, p.134, catalog number 293.
Medium: Volcanic stone
Dimensions: Height: 7 inches (17.78 cm), Length: 13.75 ins (35 cm), Width: 8.75 ins (22.2 cm)
Condition: Intact and in very good condition overall.
Provenance: Scheifele Family private collection, CT., acquired 1962 - 1965, collection # 293/58.
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