Ceremonial seat; Chirquí, Costa Rica, c. 1000 A.D.

Ceremonial seat; Chirquí, Costa Rica, c. 1000 A.D.
Terracotta.
Presents good state of preservation with wear consistent with the passage of time.
Measurements: 11 x 22 cm (diameter).
Circular ceramic object with a slightly concave platform, straight rim and rounded lip. The whole is elevated on a complex sculptural base composed of two hollow zoomorphic figures of felines and two male figures in a crouched or shrunken attitude (crunched figures), structurally joined to the circular base.The animal figures show a schematic but expressive treatment, characteristic of the ceramics of the Chiriquian area, where the felines occupy a central symbolic role. The human figures, represented in a contracted position, seem to support or integrate the support, reinforcing the idea of ritual load or cosmological support.This type of support could have been used as a symbolic seat of authority, a base for offerings or an element of exhibition in contexts of social and ritual prestige.
The Chiriqui culture, also known as part of the Gran Chiriqui complex, developed in the western region of Panama and southern Costa Rica during the late pre-Columbian period (approx. 800-1500 AD). It is characterized by a highly sophisticated ceramic production, with abundant use of anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figures, especially felines, birds and hybrid beings.
Its ceramic objects reflect a hierarchical society, with a strong ritual and shamanic component. The iconography is usually linked to concepts of power, transformation and mediation between natural and supernatural worlds. The pieces may include thrones, censers, ritual figures and complex supports such as the present specimen, which combine functionality with a high symbolic content.
In the area of Bocas del Toro and Chiriqui, these productions show influences from both Mesoamerica and regions of the South American isthmus, evidencing an important pre-Columbian cultural exchange.