Object Image

Ballgame Stone Head (Hacha)

Unknown Artist

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
The Cleveland Museum of Art

Permanent collection