Recipients of white, beige or cream-colored clay with black, red or brown paint are normally known simply as "black-on-white" type. They are particularly common in the Huasteca in the Post-Classic (900 - 1520 A.D.), especially in the last three centuries of this period. They have been found throughout almost the entire area of Huastecan influence.
The clay is fine and compact with a small amount of degreasant added to it, generally quartz. The black paint, which can vary from dark brown to black, and even to matte or vivid red, is applied directly onto the surface of the vessel. In some cases, a wash in the same clay and a white or cream engobe is applied before painting. All of this typically occurred prior to the firing of the vessel in an open oven; it was a carefully controlled process with the objective of avoiding discoloration due to oxidation. In some pieces, the engobe and paint are added after the firing.
Among this enormous group of vessels, there exists a considerable variety of distinct uses. There are small pots of approximately the same volume, some with effigies on them, and others with small faces on the recipient neck. The first vessels, with effigies, have looped handles and spouts with or without s. The others have two rounded handles, rather than three which is common in many pots. These handles are located on only one side of the vessel.
Painted or modeled figures such as these are typical of the Huasteca and are found particularly in the Gulf region, where the presence of this culture is the strongest. The black paint appears to be body paint or, in some cases, tattoos or even scarifications.
The effigies are zoomorphic and anthropomorphic; sometimes, they are combined. Most are 20 to 25 centimeters high, or slightly taller. They are characterized by having spouts both with and without s. It is very possible that these vessels made a noise when pouring liquids.
The anthropomorphic figures are often representations of women with deformed features, and possibly dwarves. It is probable that they are associated with the goddess of the earth, the goddess of pulque, and the god of the rain and wind, which were transcendental deities from the Huasteca. The zoomorphic symbols on the vessels surely represent animals associated with mythological events in which each animal had a specific role.
Also associated with this type of vessel are small pots that have either a convex or rounded bottom. These were tied to something larger to give them more stability. The vessels frequently have the same iconography of human, animal or mixed forms.
In the Mesoamerican cosmology, nocturnal animals were associated with powerful "underworld gods," also known as "gods of the night." These are part of the mythology and legends of their cultural origins, from a time when different animals were found throughout Mesoamerica.
In the Gulf Coast region these animals included raccoons, badgers, grisons, weasels, coatis, and possums (white). They could all be represented in various ways. Possums were important throughout the coastal region, they were believed to have divine properties of wisdom and of being able to trick or help men.
Pulque in the Huasteca was worshiped, a practice with a deep history and a wide geographic distribution. Unlike many other parts of Mesoamerica, there was not a god of pulque but rather a goddess. This could have been an ancient belief system in this part of the Gulf Coast. In fact, goddesses were common and important throughout the cultural chronology of the Huasteca.
It is possible that the human forms with zoomorphic faces found on these pots are avatars for the goddess of pulque or a divine pulque figure, and that their presence was consistent with the mythological events surrounding the origin or use of pulque.
In some Mesoamerican traditions, the possum robs fire from a group of gods to give it to a group that needs it humans. Perhaps, in this case, a female possum stole pulque to give it to the goddess and to the Huastecans. Alternatively, the goddess took the form of a possum or other nocturnal animal to obtain pulque by deceit from the other gods in the darkness of the underworld.
The piece described here is a medium-sized recipient in the form of a female figure with its hands resting on its knees. On the back it has a spout that is ed by a bridge running to the head. The legs are bent towards the back, an atypical position for a Huastecan piece, causing an unstable balance. The face has symbols on it that are similar to those on the cheeks of piece 1477. The surface has been badly damaged by rough cleaning.
The black-on-white and cream-colored paint is similar to other vessels of this group in this lot. Looking at the face, the eyes are curved upwards, and the nose is flat with perforations representing the nostrils. The mouth is oval-shaped. Normally, when a figure's eyes are very narrow, it represents the dead; however, this is not always the case. This piece represents a zoomorphic goddess similar to piece 1477; a better example, which also belonged to the same religious cult.
It is probable that, once liquid was inside the vessel, it was less stable and would have fallen backwards. It would be important to analyze the piece in a laboratory to determine whether or not it had been modified in modern times. Certainly in the back, but also in the position of the arms and legs.
It is very likely that the piece was altered after its discovery. That is to say, part of it may be original, but modifications may have been made to it in recent times.
