Flat Stamp
Artist/Maker
Greater Nicoya
(Costa Rica)
Dateca. 1-700
Mediumpottery
DimensionsOverall: 1 3/8 x 1 3/4 in. (3.5 x 4.4 cm)
ClassificationsTools and Equipment
Credit LineGift of Candice Barrs
Terms
Object number94.0014.25
DescriptionBoth cylindrical and flat stamps were made in the Greater Nicoya area, but flat stamps are more common in its central region. Both types of stamps were created by hand and design elements were cut when the material was still soft using a technique called excision, which provides high and low-relief design. This flat stamp has a geometric design that may represent an abstract jaguar spot or, perhaps, a floral image. It would have been suitable for body decoration or stamping cloth and clay. Little is known about the meaning of these designs or how the stamps were used.On View
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