Urns and effigy vessels demonstrate the importance of human representation in the Zapotec ceramic tradition, where the image of the ruler or of significant sacred entities was integrated into a system of beliefs tied to political ideology. Prominent among these representations is Old God 5F, characterized by features alluding to old age and sacred authority, such as aged facial features, a seated posture, and attributes associated with fire and primordial antiquity. Added to these characteristics are jaguar traits that may connect him to the underworld: lateral plaques on the head that evoke jaguar ears, as well as a pectoral ornament secured by ribbons and a large central knot. Above the eyes are plaques in the form of a stepped sign, interpreted by some researchers as a representation of a mountain, suggesting connections with the sacred landscape and with earthly entities.
His headdress, voluminous and resembling a cotton turban, displays at the front two pointed elements that have been interpreted in different ways: while some authors regard them as a decorative bow, others understand them as smoke volutes, reinforcing the figure's association with fire, the Sun, and ancient deities connected to the underworld.
Old God 5F also displays avian attributes in his iconography, particularly a narrow, curved beak projecting over the nose, accompanied by bands surrounding the eyes or, in some cases, by a complete bird mask. This element not only identifies the figure within a specific symbolic repertoire, but is also associated with the iconography of rulers during the early periods of Monte Albán. The recurrence of these attributes in urns, censers, and other ritual objects suggests the existence of a continuous symbolic tradition in which the figure of Old God 5F articulated notions of sacred power within Zapotec society.