Jug with a hollow base. The object has a high, slightly concave neck. It has been smoothed, slurried and primed on both sides. Its exterior is polychrome painted and highly polished. The ceramic has a white-yellowish base colour, which was painted red and black. A surrounding frieze appears on the neck. It shows a "flower motif" (eyes?) and stylised, zoomorphic depictions, which Lothrop (1926) interprets as jaguar motifs. The body is decorated with broad, vertical stripes. There are several circumferential bands on the base. Irregular traces of a white-yellowish primer are visible on the inside of the ceramic. A circumferential band appears on the rim. According to Bransford (1881), the object belongs to the Sta. Helena ware. Lothrop (1926) discusses the same group under his Nicoya polychrome ware. Cultural significance: the objects of the Papagayo Policromo group represent 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 manifested itself in the replacement of lizard and bat themes with depictions of cats of prey and snakes. The ceramics served as supra-regional trade goods. (Künne 2004)