A Re-examination of Potosí Applique Censers from Greater Nicoya
From approximately AD 100–1250, Potosí Applique varieties were manufactured and consumed in both the northern (Nicaragua) and southern (Costa Rica) sectors of Greater Nicoya. These two-part ceramic objects consist of a dish-form base and a tall, generally ‘bell-shaped’ lid. The ceramic type name tak...
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| Formato: | Online |
| Idioma: | eng |
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Universidad de Costa Rica
2017
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| Acceso en línea: | https://revistas.ucr.ac.cr/index.php/antropologia/article/view/30342 |
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ANTROPOLOGIA30342 |
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| record_format |
ojs |
| institution |
Universidad de Costa Rica |
| collection |
Cuadernos de Antropología |
| language |
eng |
| format |
Online |
| author |
Platz, Lorelei |
| spellingShingle |
Platz, Lorelei A Re-examination of Potosí Applique Censers from Greater Nicoya |
| author_facet |
Platz, Lorelei |
| author_sort |
Platz, Lorelei |
| description |
From approximately AD 100–1250, Potosí Applique varieties were manufactured and consumed in both the northern (Nicaragua) and southern (Costa Rica) sectors of Greater Nicoya. These two-part ceramic objects consist of a dish-form base and a tall, generally ‘bell-shaped’ lid. The ceramic type name takes its descriptor from the generous use of plastic applique decoration adorning the vessel bodies. These objects were used for burning incense, and the lid portion of the vessel is typically understood to represent an actual landscape feature, such as a mountain or volcano, providing physical context for modelled figures seen frequently atop the lid. Published examples tend to feature fantastic crocodiles, seated humans or, less frequently, jaguars, and all of which have been linked with ritual aspects of shamanic transformation in Greater Nicoya. Here I argue that traditional interpretations of Potosí Applique are limited in their focus and thus their ability to deepen our understanding of the vessel class itself, as well as the wide array of ritual imagery and cultural messages it likely communicated in ancient times. While maintaining focus on important aspects of ritual practice and the relationship between the supernatural and spiritual transformation, this preliminary re-analysis indicates that Potosí vessels present important and unexplored representations of flora. Plants, and all their component parts (flowers, leaves, fruit, seeds, etc.)—whether offered, ingested, or burned for ceremonial purposes—likely played an important role in various types of ceremonies including mortuary, healing, and transformation, among others, and are discussed here as potential avenues for future research. |
| title |
A Re-examination of Potosí Applique Censers from Greater Nicoya |
| title_short |
A Re-examination of Potosí Applique Censers from Greater Nicoya |
| title_full |
A Re-examination of Potosí Applique Censers from Greater Nicoya |
| title_fullStr |
A Re-examination of Potosí Applique Censers from Greater Nicoya |
| title_full_unstemmed |
A Re-examination of Potosí Applique Censers from Greater Nicoya |
| title_sort |
re-examination of potosí applique censers from greater nicoya |
| title_alt |
Reexaminación de los incensarios Potosí Aplicado de Gran Nicoya |
| publisher |
Universidad de Costa Rica |
| publishDate |
2017 |
| url |
https://revistas.ucr.ac.cr/index.php/antropologia/article/view/30342 |
| work_keys_str_mv |
AT platzlorelei reexaminaciondelosincensariospotosiaplicadodegrannicoya AT platzlorelei areexaminationofpotosiappliquecensersfromgreaternicoya |
| _version_ |
1781380899481321472 |
| spelling |
ANTROPOLOGIA303422020-08-14T20:21:10Z Reexaminación de los incensarios Potosí Aplicado de Gran Nicoya A Re-examination of Potosí Applique Censers from Greater Nicoya Platz, Lorelei Potosí Aplicado incensario Gran Nicoya cerámica iconografía botánica Datura Potosí Applique censer Greater Nicoya ceramic iconography botany Datura Desde aproximadamente el año 100-1250, variedades de Potosí Aplicado fueron fabricados y consumidos en ambos sectores del norte (Nicaragua) y el sur (Costa Rica) de la Gran Nicoya. Estos objetos de cerámica consisten de dos partes, una base en forma de plato y una tapa alta, generalmente en forma de campana. El nombre del tipo cerámico toma su descriptor del uso generoso de la decoración del apliqué que adorna el cuerpo del recipiente. Estos objetos fueron utilizados para quemar incienso, y la tapa del recipiente se entiende típicamente para representar una característica real del paisaje, tal como una montaña o un volcán, proporcionando el contexto físico para las figuras modeladas vistas encima de la tapa. Los ejemplos publicados tienden a presentar cocodrilos fantásticos, humanos sentados o, menos frecuentemente, jaguares, y todos los cuales han estado relacionados con aspectos rituales de la transformación chamánica en la Gran Nicoya. Aquí, argumento que las interpretaciones tradicionales de Potosí Aplicado son limitadas en su enfoque y por lo tanto su capacidad de profundizar nuestra comprensión de la clase del recipiente sí mismo, así como el rango de imágenes rituales y los mensajes culturales que probablemente comunicada en la antigüedad. Al mismo tiempo que se mantiene el enfoque en aspectos importantes del ritual y la relación entre la transformación sobrenatural y espiritual, este re análisis preliminar indica que la cerámica Potosí Aplicado presentan representaciones importantes e inexploradas de la flora. Las plantas y todos sus componentes (flores, hojas, frutos, semillas, etc.), ya sean ofrecidos, ingeridos o quemados con fines ceremoniales, probablemente desempeñaron un papel importante en diversos tipos de ceremonias, incluyendo la mortuoria, la curación y la transformación, entre otros, y se discuten aquí como posibles vías para investigaciones futuras. From approximately AD 100–1250, Potosí Applique varieties were manufactured and consumed in both the northern (Nicaragua) and southern (Costa Rica) sectors of Greater Nicoya. These two-part ceramic objects consist of a dish-form base and a tall, generally ‘bell-shaped’ lid. The ceramic type name takes its descriptor from the generous use of plastic applique decoration adorning the vessel bodies. These objects were used for burning incense, and the lid portion of the vessel is typically understood to represent an actual landscape feature, such as a mountain or volcano, providing physical context for modelled figures seen frequently atop the lid. Published examples tend to feature fantastic crocodiles, seated humans or, less frequently, jaguars, and all of which have been linked with ritual aspects of shamanic transformation in Greater Nicoya. Here I argue that traditional interpretations of Potosí Applique are limited in their focus and thus their ability to deepen our understanding of the vessel class itself, as well as the wide array of ritual imagery and cultural messages it likely communicated in ancient times. While maintaining focus on important aspects of ritual practice and the relationship between the supernatural and spiritual transformation, this preliminary re-analysis indicates that Potosí vessels present important and unexplored representations of flora. Plants, and all their component parts (flowers, leaves, fruit, seeds, etc.)—whether offered, ingested, or burned for ceremonial purposes—likely played an important role in various types of ceremonies including mortuary, healing, and transformation, among others, and are discussed here as potential avenues for future research. Universidad de Costa Rica 2017-08-30 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion Article text/html application/pdf application/epub+zip https://revistas.ucr.ac.cr/index.php/antropologia/article/view/30342 10.15517/cat.v27i2.30342 Cuadernos de Antropología; Vol. 27 No. 2 (2017): July-December Cuadernos de Antropología; Vol. 27 Núm. 2 (2017): Julio-Diciembre Cuadernos de Antropología; Vol. 27 N.º 2 (2017): Julio-Diciembre 2215-356X 1409-3138 10.15517/cat.v27i2 eng https://revistas.ucr.ac.cr/index.php/antropologia/article/view/30342/30421 https://revistas.ucr.ac.cr/index.php/antropologia/article/view/30342/30418 https://revistas.ucr.ac.cr/index.php/antropologia/article/view/30342/30419 Derechos de autor 2017 Lorelei Platz |