54 



SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 97 



black designs on a light red or orange back ground (fig. 8 and pi. 7, ^) . 

 An unusual vessel of this type from excavation 2, which has loop 

 handles and an auxiliary annular base, is also figured (fig. 9). In 

 general, at Santa Rita, these vessels are in the Bold Geometric 

 style, though elsev^here (as at Lake Yojoa, pi. 12, /) they may be 

 more Mayoid. Tripod plate fragments or restorable pieces (pi. 8, 

 e, f) are rare in levels A and B, fairly numerous in C, and rather 

 abundant in D. Characteristically, the tripod legs are high with 

 vertical slits and contain rattles. The plates are heavy and flat with 

 slightly inward-dipping rims (pi. 8, /). The designs are often 



cm. 



I I YELLOW BUFF 



BLACK 



Fig. 8. — Ulua Polychrome, Bold Geometric tripod dish, excavation 2, Santa 

 Rita (farm 17). (Specimen in National Museum of Honduras at Teguci- 

 galpa.) 



intricate, conventionalized serpents (pi. 8, ^) in black and dark red on 

 a lighter red background. Although very involved, such designs are 

 often very irregular in execution. The style seems rather unique 

 but is more " Mayoid " than Bold Geometric in feeling. 



No incensario fragments came from levels A in excavation i. From 

 B are nine unpainted incensario fragments, all of the perforated 

 " frying pan " type. The handles are tubular, except one that is 

 rather crude and solid. Two handles end in clutching triangular 

 claws and one has slits down the side. The same number of frag- 

 ments came from levels C, but half are painted with dull red and 

 brown stripes or simple geometric polychrome designs. Two frag- 

 ments came from D, one plain handle has a horizontal slit and another 

 is painted with red and black. There is some indication here that 

 painted incensarios may be relatively earlier than unpainted ones. 



