First indentified in 1898 by Jesse Walter Fewkes, this type is categorized as the latest major type in the Jeddito Yellow Ware Sequence (Hays-Gilpin 2013:176). The type is preceded by Bidahochi Polychrome, dating to the mid-1300s, and is differentiated by the addition of red lines to black or brown iron-manganese paint on a yellow ground as opposed to the characteristic white outlines of Bidahochi Polychrome (Hays-Gilpin 2013:177). This type is further preceded by Paayu Polychrome, dating to the mid-to-late 1300s and characterized by brown areas outlined with thick brown paint (Hays-Gilpin 2013:177; Adams and Hays 1992). 

Sikyatki Polychrome is distributed widely throughout the American Southwest in the Pueblo IV period. These distributions include the Hopi Mesas as the main region, as well as the Homol'ovi and Anderson Mesa; the Verde Valley and Perry Mesa; Rio Puerco of the West, Mongollin Rim, and the Roosevelt Basin; and various sites throughout New Mexico (Hays-Gilpin 2013:178). There are a variety of forms for this vessel type, most notably bowls, jars, pitchers, ladels, scoops, and effigy vessels. The latter are largely bird-shaped, most notably including parrots (Hays-Gilpin 2013:177). Other common iconography in this vessel type includes birds, feathers, wings, tails, katsinas, snakes, curved elements, and textile-like designs.

This type is believed to have first appeared around 1375 A.D., though this is debated, with other ranges placing it closer to 1400 A.D. (Colton and Hargrave 1937). The date range ends around 1625 A.D., accounting for the founding of Spanish missions in the Hopi Mesas beginning around 1629 A.D. (Hays-Gilpin 2013:178). There are gaps in information for this type due to lack of excavation at many post-1400 A.D. sites despite its early documentation by Fewkes (Hays-Gilpin 2013:175). More elaborate types of Sikyatki Polychrome occur beginning in around 1450 A.D., though there is little evidence of the transition between previous Jeddito Yellow Wares and the beginning of the Sikyatki Polychrome style.

This type is seperated into four distinct conventions first determined at a ceramic conference at the Museum of Northern Arizona. These conventions are:

1. Early Sikyatki Polychrome- Style A. Categorized by Jeddito style designs with red outlines dating to the late 1300s. Also categorized by a broad, encircling banding line with a deliberate line break and a bifold, three-fold, four-fold, or assymetrical layout. In this style, geometric and life-form motifs are loosely organized with more negative space than seen in earlier styles, and symmetries are varied. (Hays-Gilpin 2013:180).

2. Early Sikyatki Polychrome- Style B. Categorized by Jeddito style designs with red solids dating to about 1385 A.D. to the early-to-mid 1400s A.D. Red solids are more frequent than red outlining in this style. It is likely at some point in this style that the frequency of Sikyatki Polychrome surpassed that of Jeddito Black-on-Yellow. This style has a broken banding line on both jars and bowls, with engraving or spattering sometimes present. (Hays-Gilpin 2013:182).

3. Sikyatki Polychrome- Sikyatki Style- Styles C and D. These designs are characterized by red solids, sometimes with multiple shades of red with assymetrical design layouts and motifs including bird and feather elements. Other motifs in this style include elongated curve elements, katsinas, flowers, textile designs, stylized dragonflies, and butterflies. Rim treatments are varied, with some vessels displaying a broken banding line well below the rim and others displaying one closer to the rim. Engraving and spattering are frequent, and white paint is occasionally used to fill in negative space. Style C is characterized by the conference as having fewer 'frills', whereas style D is characterized by 'frills' including engraving, spattering, white paint, or multiple shades of red or orange. Bowls in this style are usually larger than those of earlier ones, are less widely distributed as these styles are rarely found beyond the Hopi Mesas. (Hays-Gilpin 2013:182). 

4. Very Late Sikyatki Style- Style E. Categorized by red or black painted rims, very elaborate exterior designs, simple interior designs such as spattered paint, and a recurved bowl shape sometimes referred to as a bowl-jar. This style appears only at Awat'ovi. This style might have appeared around or after 1500 A.D., though the sample pool is not large enough to determine exact dates. These bowls are determined to be smaller than previous styles based on the small number of vessel samples available.