Nicoya Statuette, Costa Rica

Anthropomorphic Terracotta Statuette
Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica, Late Intermediate Period (800–1350 AD)

Red terracotta with incised decoration
Height: 15.3 cm
Very good condition

This anthropomorphic terracotta statuette depicts a seated human figure with legs apart, arms curved, and wearing a cylindrical headdress. The face features coffee-bean-shaped eyes beneath prominent brow ridges and a slightly open mouth. Geometric motifs composed of triangles and lines are incised on the front of the statuette, likely representing scarification and/or tattoos. The hollowed body and perforations suggest the piece may have served as an incense burner.

This work is typical of the Nicoya region, a major cultural area in northwestern Costa Rica that served as a crossroads between Mesoamerican and Andean spheres. Anthropomorphic statuettes of this type were often used in funerary or ritual contexts, associated with ancestral worship or fertility cults. They reflect both the symbolic richness and the high technical skill of the potters of this region.