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Pre-Columbian and Acheulean Artifact Auction
Lot 186:
Description
8 1/8" x 5 3/8" Pre-Columbian Ceremonial Hacha, Motley COA, Made from Colorful Hardstone, from Guatemala, Mayan Culture, Ex Rich Atkins Collection
Mesoamerican ballplayers wore protective gear called hachas, palmas, and yokes to protect their hips and abdomens from the impact of the game’s solid rubber ball. In painting and sculpture, the yoke is shown worn around the player’s hips, the palma or hacha attached at the front. Those used during active play were most likely made of wood or some other light material; stone versions such as this one were worn, if at all, during ballgame-related rituals, or placed on display. Given the distinctive design of each hacha, both those worn and those carved in stone may have served to identify teams or individuals.
The name Hacha refers to the axe-like form of many (Hacha is Spanish for axe)
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