Vessel Depicting Seated Figure

He scratches his head, and the vessel behind him is waiting to be filled.

Potters in Costa Rica shaped this pottery vessel as a seated figure. Figural vessels were made in many parts of Central America and are often linked to ritual and ceremony. The figure crouches with one hand raised to the head and the other braced on a bent knee, its round face framed by a frill of fine, impressed marks. A tall, plain cylinder rises from the back to form the opening. The clay is a pale cream, lightly worn and rubbed, with warmer buff at the edges and a few small chips.

About seven inches tall. Small, odd and happily self-possessed.