Description:

Pre-Columbian, Mexico, Veracruz culture, ca. 6th to 8th century CE. This is a large piece of carved volcanic rock called a hacha, which was worn atop the protective yoke that ballplayers wore in ancient Mesoamerica. The carving is in the shape of a human face wearing a helmet -- just as a ballplayer would have. The face has a broad nose and naturalistic features when seen in profile. Hachas often depict heads, flattened to resemble a symbolic axe. Other similar examples of hachas have shells and plaster that form decorative elements (see, for example, the Fish Hacha held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art) - this piece may have at one point had some of those. The man objects we have found relating to the ballgame in ancient Mesoamerica speaks to its importance to their society. Imagine wearing this heavy piece of stone on your waist as you play a physically intensive sport! Size: 6.25" W x 8.75" H (15.9 cm x 22.2 cm)

Provenance: Ex-private Scollard collection, acquired before 1990

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#115188

  • Condition: Expected wear, with one minor chip from the top of the head only visible on one side; facial features and carved details are all very clear.

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June 2, 2016 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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