Nicoya Ceremonial Metate with Macaw Effigy

This ceremonial stone metate from the Nicoya region (11th–14th cc.) stands on three legs and carries a projecting platform topped by a sculpted macaw head. The bird’s hooked beak and crest emerge from a textured surface that suggests feathers. Unlike domestic grinding stones, such metates served in elite rituals, where the macaw evoked the sky and shamanic vision, reinforcing the ruler’s link to supernatural power.