Lot 78D
Pre-Columbian, Mayan territories, ca. 500 to 950 CE. A magnificent example of a ceremonial hacha depicting a human head, possibly a skull, in profile, hand-carved from a single piece of stone of red-brown hues, replete with elegantly delineated details on both sides - its visage including a round eye or orbital, straight yet slightly upturned nose, and gently smiling lips beneath what appears to be a helmeted coiffure, the helmet apropos for a ballgame player, though the 'ballgame' was typically of a ritualistic nature. Custom stand. Size: 8.75" W x 11" H (22.2 cm x 27.9 cm); 13.75" H (34.9 cm) on included custom stand.
Hachas were associated with the ritual Mesoamerican ball game, though they were not actually part of the player's equipment. Instead these were worn during ritualistic ceremonies related to the game. The name stems from the fact that they were believed to be axe-heads; hence the term hacha (Spanish for axe). Based on ceramic figurines and stone carvings, some authors have proposed that they were meant to be attached to yugos (yokes). Others suggest that some of the hachas could have served as ball court markers. While their actual use is still unclear to scholars, they are often associated with yugos in burials.
Provenance: private D. C. collection, California, USA. D. C. is an Emmy Award winning Hollywood writer and Executive Producer, collected before 2000
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#126433
- Condition: Old loss to forehead on one side. Otherwise normal surface wear commensurate with age and earthen deposits.
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