Pedestal Bowl 9th-10th century Ulúa Valley This cylindrical marble vase features two handles, each in the form of a snarling bat with an upturned nose and a protruding torso. The lower portion of the vessel, a hollow pedestal base, bulges slightly in profile and is drilled with openwork linear designs. The upper and lower borders of the body give the appearance of overlapping scales or feathers, while the main ground is covered with volutes, stylized eyes, and limb motifs carved in low relief.White limestone marble vessels, used to drink chocolate or other ritual beverages, became prized possessions after about the seventh century. Vases of this style originated from sites near Travesía in the Ulúa Valley, in the Gulf of Honduras, and were exported as luxury goods to as far away as the heart of the Maya lowlands, islands in the Belizean Caribbean, and Costa Rica. Local artists must have developed these vessels, which were then made by subsequent generations for wider circulation in Mes