About the Object

This Veraguas-Chiriquí vessel is painted in vibrant polychrome paint. Like many ceramics in this tradition, it represents a human and/or animal, most likely a monkey. These objects were often found among burials, suggesting the double jar held a ritual importance and association with the afterlife.

Additional Information

Found in Panama and related with Coclé and Diquis and often considered a part of the wider Gran Coclé culture, the Veraguas-Chiriquí were also skilled artists who completed intricate works of gold that show links to additional isthmian and South American cultures. Unfortunately, this has contributed to looting and the loss of much of this information to scholars. However, ongoing work is helping to piece together greater understanding of these societies.