Greater Nicoya God-Axe with Shamanic Headdress

This jade god-axe (500 BC–500 AD) from Guanacaste shows a compact human figure with a V-shaped cranial notch forming a stepped headdress, heavy brows, and crossed arms over the chest. Such axes served as elite ritual objects in Greater Nicoya, linking warfare, status, and shamanic power. The central isosceles triangle organizing eyes, nose, and mouth demonstrates a strict geometric scheme that reinforces the figure’s frontal authority.