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Ballgame Stone Head (Hacha)
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
Little can be said about this head’s identity and meaning, although the deep, dramatic furrows that line the face suggest age and the crest that curves across the top of the head has been compared to that of a bird. Such heads were one element of the regalia used in an ancient ballgame associated with complex mythology and equally elaborate art production on Mexico’s Gulf Coast, in present-day Veracruz.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineBallgame Stone Head (Hacha), 450–550 CE. Mesoamerica, Classic Veracruz style. Gray volcanic stone; overall: 21.1 x 15.3 x 16.2 cm (8 5/16 x 6 x 6 3/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel D. Wise, 1945.124
