Cleveland Museum of Art

Ballgame Stone Head (Hacha)

Date

450–550 CE

Medium

gray volcanic stone

Culture

Mesoamerica, Classic Veracruz style

Department

Art of the Americas

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

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. This head’s identity is unknown but the deep furrows on the face suggest age.

The authoritative record is held by Cleveland Museum of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.