Object Image

Ballgame Stone Head (Hacha)

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.

Credit: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel D. Wise...

AD 450-550
Gray volcanic stone
21.1 x 15.3 x 16.2 cm
1945.124
Image and text: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 2023

Where you'll find this

The Cleveland Museum of Art
Permanent collection