Footed Vessel 14th-15th century () Maya () This vessel is carved from a translucent stone, commonly known in Mexico as tecali. Named for the town of Tecali de Herrera in southern Puebla where abundant sources are known, the stone is also found in central Oaxaca and in the southern Maya lowlands. Tecali is often referred to as Mexican onyx; it is, however, not agate but a calcite, a soft stone, similar in appearance to alabaster. It was a valued material throughout ancient Mesoamerica and many ritual and luxury items were made from it. At Teotihuacan, masks, statuary, and vessels of various shapes are fabricated from tecali. During the last centuries before the conquest, effigy vessels, often of substantial size, in the shape of deities and animals such as monkeys or coyotes, were carved from it in many parts of Mesoamerica. Elegant footed vessels of a shape similar to this example with slightly flared walls with a delicate lip were found in offerings at Uxmal and Chichén Itzá, and fr