Nicoya Effigy Bottle

Effigy Bottle, 500-800 AD

This effigy bottle depicts a woman squatting to lift a child on her back with a head strap, which would free her hands for manual labor. The representation of a mother who is also a laborer expresses the diverse value of the women, both to society and to her family. The bottle is made of fired clay which was painted with red slip. The vessel is Pre-Columbian and is of the Nicoya culture of northwest Costa Rica. The vessel may have been used in rituals concerned with reproduction.