Black Gecko Earth-Toned Chorotega Pottery Decorative Vase, "Curious Gecko"

A curious gecko looks out from the top of this vessel-style decorative vase. Handcrafted by Chorotega pottery artisan Nury Marchena Grijalba of the Guanacaste region in Costa Rica, the vase has a background of artfully mixed dark orange and brown, a solid black rim at the opening, and decorative borders around the widest part of the vase body.

Chorotega pottery is completely handmade with traditional techniques passed down through the generations for 3,000 years, and one of the last surviving cultural elements of the Chorotega people indigenous to Costa Rica's Guanacaste region and Nicoya Peninsula. Chorotega pottery is made from local clay mixed with a very fine freshwater sand. The artisans shape the clay on hand-operated pottery wheels and hand-polish the art piece to give it a smooth texture and luster. Designs are etched by hand and the pieces are painted with natural pigments made from pulverized local colored rocks mixed with water, then fired in traditional wood-burning brick kilns. The result is a beautiful, earthen pottery unique to this region.