Object Notes

1973.61 Hacha: Animal Effigy (Classic Veracruz, Veracruz, Mexico)


GENERAL DESCRIPTION  
Besides the yoke and palma, another commonly portrayed element of ballgame attire is the hacha. Worn atop the yoke, hachas protruded from a padded waist belt and were part of the ballgame gear for deflecting the heavy rubber ball. During the Classic period, city centers created ball courts, their replica of Creation Mountain.