Provenance Information

(Enrique Vargas-Alfaro) [1915-2008], San Jose, Costa Rica and Atlanta, GA; Purchased by Frederick R. [1928-2007] and Jan Mayer, Denver, CO, 1983 [1]; Gifted to the Denver Art Museum, 2017
[1] On loan to the Denver Art Museum, 1992

Exhibition Information

On display in Museum's Pre-Columbian Galleries, 1993-2017 and in the Museum's Arts of the Ancient Americas Galleries since 2021

Publication Information

Hoopes, John. Sorcery and the Taking of Trophy Heads in Ancient Costa Rica. In "The Taking and Displaying of Human Body Parts as Trophies by Amerindians," edited by Richard Chacon and David Dye, pp. 444-480. Springer Science & Business Media, LLC. 2007:444-480., Lange, Frederick W., ed. Ancient Treasures of Costa Rica: Art and Archaeology of the Rich Coast. Johnson Publishing Co., Boulder, CO. 1990., Leibsohn, Dana. The Costa Rican Effigy Head Tradition. In "Costa Rican Art and Archaology: Essays in Honor of Frederick R. Mayer," edited by Frederick W. Lange, pp. 133-160. Boulder, CO: University of Colorado. 1988., Young-Sanchez, Margaret (editor). Nature and Spirit: Ancient Costa Rican Treasures in the Mayer Collection at the Denver Art Museum. Denver Art Museum. 2010., Young-Sánchez, Margaret. Pre-Columbian Art in the Denver Art Museum. Frederick and Jan Mayer Center for Pre-Columbian and Spanish Colonial Art at the Denver At Museum. 2003.

Section of the AAMD Guidelines relied upon for the exception to 1970

Gift or bequest expected or on loan prior to 2008

Explain why the object fits the exception set forth above

The Mayer collection of Costa Rican art distinguishes itself from other national and international collections for the depth and breadth of cultural and artistic styles represented therein. Assembled beginning in 1966, the objects represent the developmental arc of Costa Rican ceramics, metallurgy and stone carving and stands as the most comprehensive collection of Central American material culture outside of the region. Mr. and Mrs. Mayer began lending works in this gift to the Denver Art Museum in 1992 and since loan of this work in 1992, it has been on continuous display until 2017 in the Art of the Ancient Americas galleries. This gift complements the collection of Costa Rican material, also gifted by Mr. and Mrs. Mayer with the express purpose that the objects remain together in order for scholars to appreciate fully the development of Central American art, allow work to be put in the public domain, and facilitate further research.