Sistema Regional de Información
en línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina,
el Caribe, España y Portugal

Received: 15-09-2021.Approved: 13-11-2021. This article analyzes natural, economic, social and political factors and circumstances that have been conducive to the institutionalization and consolidation of biological sciences in Costa Rica, in two centuries of independent life, while highlighting the contributions of the main individuals and entities that have made this process possible. The following six key historical routes have been identified to tackle this analysis: the isthmic condition of the country and the proximity of the San Juan River, due to its potential importance as a natural interoceanic canal; the peace and political stability of the country, as a condition for carrying out scientific activities; the recognition and acceptance of biological sciences in the local culture; the vision and need to take advantage of foreign scientific knowledge; opportune and fruitful international scientific alliances; and awareness of the need to institutionalize biological sciences. Hopefully, lessons may be derived from this analysis, geared to contribute to better orient future national efforts in this matter.

Received: 27-10-2021.Approved: 23-11-2021. Jose Valerio Argüello was a religious imagery artist who created an important group of sculptures for catholic churches and devocional family practices in different places around Costa Rica. Nevertheless, his art is unknown and his life has been forgotten through the last five decades. The aim of this article is to present some details of the life of this artist, and his role in costa rican catholic imagery creation and also to draw a path for new research about this kind of artists, who played as pivot in local art history.

Received: 22-09-2021.Approved: 04-11-2021. This article presents an experience in which the Cultural Heritage is a pedagogical resource for the rehabilitation of people with drug addiction problems that takes place in the Rehabilitation Center for Drug Addicts called Rostro de Jesús and illustrates the educational-creative process carried out by the interns for the commemoration of 200 years of independent life.

Received: 13 de diciembre de 2021.Approved: 21 de junio de 2022. The following biographical semblance presents some aspects, by way of summary, of the life of Man Yu Fung, an artist of Chinese origin living in Costa Rica, and her work. The biographical sketch is made with the purpose of putting into practice the artistic appreciation and is based on an interview with Fung, information from her web page and conversations with the teacher Kriss Irella González, within the framework of the course Appreciation of Latin American Arts of the School of General Studies. The reader will find, at the end of this reading that Man Yu is a multidisciplinary painter, whose art evolves from realistic figuration in the representation of bodies to the exploration and incursion into a fusion of disciplines. The appreciation of her works highlights her art which revolves around identity themes and those of her time, such as the theme of fashion and its influence on the perception of bodies or even the fight against the coronavirus; on a technical level, we see the use of pastel, acrylic and oil techniques, applied to figurative representations until reaching the art of action and video art.

Received: 07 de diciembre de 2021.Approved: 07 de marzo de 2022. In this, the color of hand-dyed wool threads was characterized in two periods (2014 and 2015 campaigns) which are used in the manufacture of Saltillo sarapes, in Mexico. The spectral analysis was developed through UV-Vis Diffuse Reflectance Spectrometry; the chromatic analysis was done in the CIELAB color space, using the illuminant D65 and the observer at 10 degrees, from reflectance spectra. Once the chromatic coordinates were identified, they were converted to the corresponding colors with the help of software. Finally, the ∆ECMC values were calculated to recognize color variations between threads of the same tone, with different luminosities and saturations, finding that in some cases the recorded values correspond to variations barely perceptible by the human eye, which is a quality parameter in the making of this textile, emblematic of Mexican culture. Thus, registration of typical colorimetric characteristics of these crafts is made, in order to contribute to their intellectual protection and preservation.

Received: 08 de febrero de 2022.Approved: 03 de marzo de 2022. This work analyses two distinct approaches related to the interpretation of certain Pre-Columbian Costa Rican sculpture: effigy heads and human figures carrying severed heads. Both, Jorge Lines and Carlos Aguilar, share Functionalist linked perspectives but debate if those representations correspond to “portraits” or simple “trophies”, as well as about the nature of the practices related to those objects, either war acts or others with religion implications. During 1950 decade was established a disaccord between the two authors and linked to this topic, maybe, the first scientific debate in Costa Rica´s Archaeology. At the end, it presents a subject discussion with current data as well as a new interpretative proposal.

Received: 01 de febrero de 2022.Approved: 07 de marzo de 2022. The German physician and naturalist Alexander von Frantzius arrived in Costa Rica in 1854. In 1868, he published an article in the German magazine Das Ausland about the roads of that country, and particularly about the road to Matina, on the Caribbean coast, which was essential to the trade with Europe. In his opinion, there had always been a lack of interest in repairing this road, due to the competing interests of important businessmen of the capital city San José and their rivals in the old capital city Cartago. He highlights the vision and decision-making of some of Costa Rica's Heads of State, Braulio Carrillo and Jesús Jiménez, for example, as well as the technical prowess of some foreigners such as Henry Cooper, Edmund Pougin and Luis Daser, but especially of the German engineer Franz Kurtze who, in 1866, proposed a blueprint for the construction of an interoceanic railroad from Limón to Caldera. Due to its historical value, this article analyzes von Frantzius´ text and complements it with several interpretative notes as well as some pertinent illustrations.

Received: 8 de abril de 2022.Approved: 6 de junio de 2022. This paper analyzes seven cartoons published in the newspapers Diario de Costa Rica and La Tribuna, and in the magazine Bohemia, between 1923 and 1934, related to the fight for women’s suffrage. The selected cartoonists expressed their opposition to women’s right to vote through their artwork. Therefore, the study of these images intents on identifying the recurring themes and symbols used by these illustrators to reflect their concerns and interests regarding the suffragists’ campaigns. For that purpose, the images are analyzed under a semiotics methodology, taking into consideration the factors involved in the process in which the meaning of the cartoons comes to life, such as the historic context, the women’s presence in the Costa Rican press during the early years of the 20th century and the cartoonists’ stance and influence. Based on that, three thematic topics can be found: gender roles inversion at home, men’s fear of losing authority, and the attacks based on stereotypes.

Received: 07 de enero de 2022.Approved: 07 de marzo de 2022. This article addresses three testimonies written by missionary priests about ritual dance in the Tawahka in the seventeenth century. The main objective is to discuss the role that this cultural practice had in this indigenous town. From an ethnohistorical approach the texts were compared and it was revealed that the accounts were consistent with each other, and therefore plausible as historical evidence. It was concluded that ritual dance was a complex practice among the Tawahkas, which involved the elaboration of a particular clothing, the consumption of human blood and the use of fire. From the dance, the natives could establish communication with their gods and obtain answers to their questions.