Ballgame Marker
Artist/Maker
Classic Veracruz
(Mexico)
Dateca. 600-900
Mediumstone
DimensionsOverall: 8 1/2 x 5 1/4 x 6 in. (21.6 x 13.3 x 15.2 cm)
ClassificationsVisual Works
Credit LineMuseum purchase
Terms
Object number91.0038
DescriptionYokes, palmas, and hachas are the three types of objects related to the ballgame found throughout Mesoamerica. Yokes may have been worn by ballplayers, while palmas and hachas were used to decorate the ball court. This hacha is similar in size to many others that have been found in Veracruz and is decorated with a human face in profile. The figure may be wearing a helmet, given the deeply sunken eyes and zoomorphic nature of the nose and jaw. The ears are pierced, suggesting that ornaments may have been attached. The function of hachas is less certain than that of yokes, although they have most commonly been interpreted as markers for the ballgame.On View
Not on viewCollections