Metate Throne, c. A.D. 500 Guanacaste-Nicoya Zone, Costa Rica Basalt: 14╜" x 28" x 13" Gift of Mrs. A.A. Seeligson, Sr.						2 of 2   Physical Religious Artistic Economic Social
	THE JAGUAR he jaguar was an important spiritual motif in pre-Columbian cultures. It was associated with rain rituals, the underworld, and chieftainship. In Costa Rica, elaborate stone metates, or corn grinding stones, were carved out of local volcanic rock and used in the burials of important chiefs. The chief was placed on the metate-stool in the center of the tomb as if to symbolize that he was a source of sustenance for his people.