Turtle-Bird Hybrid Figurine
2018 © Maxim Tabachnik
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Turtle-Bird Hybrid Figurine

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This ceramic effigy (500–800) shows a turtle’s body combined with a birdlike face that includes a strong beak and spiral eyes. Forms from the Greater Nicoya region include composite beings linked to ritual settings. The hybrid structure suggests movement across elemental realms and the possibility of shamanic transition between worlds.