Francisco Corrales Ulloa is an archaeologist at the National Museum of Costa Rica. For almost forty years, he has been involved in researching and protecting national archaeological heritage.
Francisco Corrales Ulloa pays a visit to the Arts of the Ancient Americas galleries. Photographs by Anna-Marie Kellen, Photographic Program Manager, Met Imaging.
For Corrales Ulloa, the motifs that decorate ancient artifacts offer a glimpse into shared values and belief systems. “In Precolumbian times, you see this connection between all different aspects of life, the daily life and the ritual aspects. Sometimes you'll see the reflection of symbolism in something that would be very domestic or very common. By adding these elements and all these creative aspects and the difficulty of the skills needed to make them, they are also an expression of artistic, symbolic, and religious values.”
These values are reflected in the representation of certain recurring symbols, especially animals. “The animals that you see are the animals that are feared, animals with certain characteristics. They are poisonous, they are rapacious, they are venomous. Those qualities are incorporated into the belief system. For example, felines like jaguars and ocelots, alligators, bats, and snakes are the most representative.”
Plaque with masked figure, 8th–12th century. Panama. Coclé (Macaracas). Gold, H. 5 1/2 × W. 5 3/4 × D. 1/8 in. (14 × 14.6 × 0.3 cm). Gift and Bequest of Alice K. Bache, 1966, 1977. 66.196.31
A Coclé warrior who aspired to bring those powers and characteristics into battle would have worn a gold plaque like this one. “Some of the characteristics of the animals were appreciated and usually some clans or Indigenous groups still today that have these clan divisions, they have as a reference some particular animals. So, it's clear that they adopt those traits or characteristics of the particular animal as a symbol of their strength or their value in terms of warriors facing their enemies.”
These objects have an enduring significance that extends into the present, especially when Corrales Ulloa reflects upon the history of his own country. “Archaeological heritage is extremely important. When Costa Rica was created as a nation state, there was this official discourse that didn't take into account Precolumbian or Indigenous heritage. Gradually, particularly with archaeological studies, this part of Costa Rican history is emerging with a new light.”
Hear from Corrales Ulloa in the Arts of the Ancient Americas Audio Guide in English and Spanish.
1637. Plaques with figure, Coclé (Macaracas) artist(s)
Francisco Corrales-Ulloa and Orlando Hernández Ying
FRANCISCO CORRALES-ULLOA: The animals that you see are the animals that are feared, animals with certain characteristics.
JOSÉ MARÍA YAZPIK (NARRATOR): Francisco Corrales-Ulloa, archaeologist at the National Museum of Costa Rica.
FRANCISCO CORRALES-ULLOA: They are poisonous, they are rapacious, they are venomous. Those qualities are incorporated into the belief system.
JOSÉ MARÍA YAZPIK: A Coclé warrior who aspired to bring those powers and characteristics into battle would have worn a gold plaque like this one. While the Coclé peoples lived in the region known today as Panama, this object is a composite of different fearsome animals from across Central America. Art historian Orlando Hernández Ying.
ORLANDO HERNÁNDEZ YING: The most ferocious animals that you can find in the tropics are alligators and also jaguars. So we see felines and also avian forms, we see eagles and other raptors. We see a curled snout that is associated to bats. And those bulging eyes are associated to bats. So we see also the powers of the night more associated to the cosmic vision. So, I think that it's not only to represent military prowess, but also animals that show the connection to the underworld and also the world of above.
JOSÉ MARÍA YAZPIK: Other ornaments are embossed with representations of marine animals - sharks and sea turtles - creatures found in the waters off the coast of Colombia in the south and as far north as Costa Rica. These images may reflect the intimate connection between the Coclé people and the sea. They not only took advantage of its resources, but also used it for transportation and movement between regions. An affinity with animal imagery endures among some groups in the area today.
FRANCISCO CORRALES-ULLOA: Some of the characteristics of the animals were appreciated and usually some clans or indigenous groups still today that have these clan divisions, they have as a reference some particular animals. So, it's clear that they adopt those traits or characteristics of the particular animal as a symbol of their strength or their value in terms of warriors facing their enemies.
1637. Placas con figura, artista(s) coclé (Macaracas)
Francisco Corrales-Ulloa y Orlando Hernández Ying
JOSÉ MARÍA YAZPIK (NARRADOR): Esta placa de oro muestra una combinación de diferentes animales temibles. Francisco Corrales-Ulloa, arqueólogo del Museo Nacional de Costa Rica.
FRANCISCO CORRALES-ULLOA: Los animales que se presentan son aquellos animales que se temen, que generan algún respeto, porque son rapaces, porque son depredadores o venenosos, o tienen alguna característica como que viven subterráneamente o son nocturnos.
JOSÉ MARÍA YAZPIK: Un guerrero Coclé que aspirara a llevar esos poderes y características a la batalla habría portado una placa de oro como esta. Si bien los pueblos Coclé vivían en la región que hoy llamamos Panamá, los animales representados provienen de toda América Central. Historiador de arte Orlando Hernández Ying.
ORLANDO HERNÁNDEZ YING: Y cuando hablamos de los más feroces que podemos pensar en los lagartos, los cocodrilos que eran, me imagino, muy abundantes en los ríos panameños. También tenemos una descripción de los murciélagos, por ejemplo, los animales de la noche, que están asociados también a la cosmovisión del mundo indígena.
Entonces vemos que por lo general la tendencia es hacia animales feroces que están asociados con el tema de la guerra. Entonces vemos que también esto hace referencia al posible contacto intercostal que había entre Colombia, Panamá y Costa Rica. Pero básicamente lo que debemos es una, es escoger los elementos de los animales que representen no solamente la conexión con lo divino, sino también el tema militar y de la guerra.
JOSÉ MARÍA YAZPIK: Otros ornamentos están grabados con representaciones de animales marinos: tiburones y tortugas marinas, criaturas que se encuentran desde la costa de Colombia, en el sur, hasta Costa Rica, al norte. Estas imágenes reflejarían la íntima conexión entre el pueblo Coclé y el mar, quienes no solo aprovecharon sus recursos, sino también lo utilizaron para el transporte y el desplazamiento entre regiones. La afinidad con estos animales perdura entre algunos grupos contemporáneos de la región.
