chocolate pots and cups are used to prepare and serve drinking chocolate. Chocolate was consumed primarily as a beverage before the nineteenth century, and material objects contributed significantly to its sensory impact and cultural meaning. Among the Maya and Aztecs, the fruit of the cacao tree could express religious beliefs, elite status, and the power of rulers. Between the thirteenth century b.c.e. and the Spanish conquest of the 1500s, various cacao-based liquids figured in rituals related to warfare, diplomacy, marriage, and burial. Artfully designed containers cast this symbolic potency in permanent form. They included cylindrical jars, footed vases, and spouted bottles made of clay, as well as round cups fashioned from calabash gourds. Decoration ranged from rhythmic patterns to detailed scenes of cacao consumption. An inscription might identify a specific type of concoction or an owner’s name and title. Preparation could be a dramatic performance as a beverage was poured from one vessel to another to produce a delectable layer of foam.
