Description

Ulua polychrome vessels are ceramics that were created during the Classic and Early Postclassic periods (250-1000 CE) in the Ulua River Valley. These vessels are the careful work of craftspeople who lived in towns and villages nestled throughout the lush, tropical valley. In many households, older artists shared their knowledge of clay sourcing, working, firing, and decorating with new generations. Most Ulua Polychromes are bowls, dishes, or jars that were used to serve food and drink. Although craftspeople borrowed some motifs from the Maya culture to the north, Ulua pottery was a local development that worked to form a shared identity and cosmology across the valley. The vessels served multiple purposes in the social, political, and economic spheres of the Ulua Valley: they were used as gifts, for rituals, during feasts after ball court games, and in household meals.  

This intricate Santa Rita style cylinder dates from between 550-650 CE. It was likely used during ritually charged celebrations to hold beverages made from cacao, maize, or other local ingredients. The middle panels feature a stylized seated human-like figure wearing a bird or serpent headdress. Elements of mythical and local animals were often incorporated in the headdresses of Ulua figures, with the various headdresses perhaps associated with different ritual practice.