Three-legged, round-bottomed vessel with retracting rim and narrowed mouth. The three beak-shaped legs have narrow openings and rattle spheres. The vessel has been smoothed on both sides, slurried and primed. Its exterior is polychrome painted and lightly polished. The primer and paint are partially eroded. There is a large fracture on the rim. The ceramic has a white-yellowish base colour, which was painted red, orange and black-brown on the outside of the object. On the wall there is a circumferential motif band around the lower edge, which consists of T-elements. On the shoulder there is a high, circumferential frieze with stepped elements and meanders. The body is decorated with two red bands running around the centre. The three stocky legs probably symbolise bird beaks, which were painted orange. Their narrow, elongated openings are surrounded by two concentric ovals. Two red concentric circles mark the base of the legs. Irregular traces of a white-yellowish primer are visible on the inside of the pottery. According to Bransford 1881: Sta. Helena ware. According to Lothrop 1926: Nicoya polychrome ware. Cultural significance: the Papagayo Policromo type marks the beginning of polychrome painting on a white-yellowish ground in the Gran Nicoya region. The tradition lasted until the Policromo Tardío (1350-1520d.C.). Its decoration shows a strong Mesoamerican influence. This manifests itself in the replacement of lizard and bat themes with depictions of cats of prey and snakes, among other things. Similar stepped elements are known from the Cholula Policromo group (1520-1200d.C.), among others. Some variants reached Central Mesoamerica through barter trade. (Künne 2004)