Male Figure with Trophy Head
Artist/Maker
Central Highlands/Atlantic Watershed
Costa Rica
Dateca. 1000-1550
CultureCentral Highlands/Atlantic Watershed
Mediumbasalt
DimensionsOverall: 22 3/8 x 10 1/8 x 6 3/8 in. (56.8 x 25.7 x 16.2 cm)
ClassificationsVisual Works
Credit LineGift of Alfred I. Barton
Terms
Object number62.045.003
On View
Not on viewCollections
DescriptionLarge, free-standing, stone sculptures of warriors returning from battle were common in the Atlantic Watershed region during the last centuries before European contact. Increased population pressure made warriors an important part of the success of each chiefdom. This male warrior figure holds an axe in one hand and has a trophy head suspended over his shoulder. Carved from a single block of basalt, this figure may have been displayed prior to burial with an important ancestor. Warriors brought trophy heads back from battle as proof of their success and to enhance their status in the community.- Art of the Ancient Americas
