Origin & Age of this Shallow Native Bowl with Lizard

Can anyone identify this bowl? What is the significance of the imagery? It is gently cupped and does not have a flat bottom. It is 9.5" in diameter and approx 1.5" deep. The design is both painted and inscribed (the centre element with the lizard is all inscribed). There is no signature that I have been able to find. The 2 holes and the string are, I assume, a later addition.

 

It is from Costa Rica, made by a Chorotega potter, probably in Guaitil.


https://wanderlustandlipstick.com/b...a-chorotegan-village-for-costa-rican-pottery/

 

I looked at the link and didn't see anything quite like this - similar colours but very few that were incised. Also the examples online were generally thrown on a wheel whereas I believe mine was made by the coil technique (no flat bottom and slightly off-centre curvature). Would that indicate that my example is older? How much older?

 

The artisans of Guaitil have been making pottery since pre-columbian times, and historically have made functional pottery items. The most information I have been able to find on the "Chorotega Revival" is that "the contemporary Chorotega ceramics have evolved over the past decades".
https://www.guanacastecostarica.com/Guaitil.html

There are several styles of pottery created in Guaitil, using a variety of techniques. Each one is made individually, though, so it is unlikely that you will find another exactly like yours. If you do a broader search for "Guaitil pottery", you will find others that include incised decoration such as used on your plate.

As for hand built vs. wheel, from the article in the link:
"Hand throwing a pot is still a simple process with clay being turned manually on a wheel rotating on an axle and built up using the coil method." It shows the potter using what I would call a turntable, rather than a true potter's wheel that makes use of centrifugal force.

From an article published in 2009:
"Several artisans have begun to use a pottery wheel over the past decade, said Espinosa, who has set up his Guaitil Pottery Studio (2653-2005, www.tamarindopottery.com) in the nearby beach community of Tamarindo. The wheel represents a more efficient change from the entirely hand-thrown process once used exclusively."
https://ticotimes.net/2009/04/03/guaitil-pottery-preserves-indigenous-techniques