Hacha in the Form of a Wrinkled Human Face with Deer Antlers
Hacha in the Form of a Wrinkled Human Face with a Deer Antler
Maya, Veracruz-style
About A.D. 800-950
Pacific Coast, Guatemala, possibly Chimaltenango region
Carved volcanic stone
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Pringle, 1982.189
Translating as "axe" in Spanish, the term "hacha" is a misnomer. This term was originally coined because of the form of these objects, which are relatively flat and taper down to a narrow edge. Although it is clear that these objects were never used as axes, their true function remains enigmatic. Scholars have suggested that stone hachas were once attached to stone yokes (eg. 1991.500), but how this might have been accomplished remains unclear, as stone yokes lack the notches that would be required to mount an hacha. It is possible that stone versions of hachas (as well as stone yokes and palmas) may be ceremonial versions or effigy sculptures of the lighter weight paraphernalia (made of perishable materials) that was actually used in the game. Hachas may also have served as the heads of ceremonial scepters or, hafted onto wooden poles, may have acted as the ballgame equivalent of battle standards, rather than being worn by ballplayers during play.
Yokes, hachas, and palmas (eg. 1953.106) appear to have originated in Southern Veracruz. During the Late Classic period, this tradition spread to Southern Mesoamerica, specifically to areas along the Pacific Coast of Mexico, Guatemala, and El Salvador, as well as inland, western Honduras. This example was likely carved in Guatemala, based on its similarity to analogous forms carved in this region. It is carved on both sides with the wrinkled face of an elderly individual. Atop this face is a deer antler. Deer headdresses are frequently seen in ballgame scenes, as deer were metaphorically associated with the hunt and, by extension, sacrificial death. In the Denver Art Museum, there are two other representations of old men wearing deer antlers (e.g. 1983.267 and 1972.158). Here they are clearly recognizable as God N. This world sustainer, associated with mythic origins and the cosmic center, would have been an appropriate reference for ballplayers, who themselves were so closely associated with solar and agricultural cycles as well as the continued functioning of the universe.
For Jaina-style ballplayer figurines, see 1986.615, 1986.617, 1986.621, 1986.622A-B, and 1985.635. For ballgame scenes, see 1971.417, 1980.237, and 1984.616.
-Lucia R. Henderson, 2016
- "The Ballgame"-- Denver Museum of Natural History, 3/17/1995-7/1995.
