Although little is known about the actual rules of
the Mesoamerican ballgame, archaeological
discoveries attest to the widespread popularity of
this phenomenon. Courts have been excavated
from northern South America to the
southwestern United State, and on Caribbean
Islands. While the earliest ruins date from over
three thousand years ago, a derivation of this
ancient game is still played today in parts of
northwestern Mexico. Although the game was
played as a sport, it also had tremendous
religious and ceremonial significance. In the
“Popol Vul,” the creation myth of the Quiche
Maya of highland Guatemala, the protagonists
(the Hero Twins) are ball players who compete
against the Gods of the Underworld. Scholars
believe that certain ceremonial games might
have reenacted this mythological competition
where the losers would be sacrificed to the gods.
While little specifics are known regarding game
play, much more is known about the extensive
uniform and regalia thanks to painted and
sculpted references as well as the actual artifacts
themselves.
This gorgeous jade palma is just one such
artifact that played an essential role in the
ancient game. Palmas were believed to serve as
court markers, perhaps delineating borders or
scoring ranges. It is also thought that they
might have been awarded as prizes to victorious
combatants. Clearly, this spectacular work would
have been a most formidable prize. The Maya
considered jade the most precious of all stone
substances. Carved with the depiction of a
standing figure, perhaps a ballplayer himself,
wearing an elaborate, towering headdress, the
style of the decoration, specifically the figure’s
face, reveal the influence of the Olmec on the art
of the Maya. One cannot say for sure what this
palma may have been used for; however, we can
be certain that, considering both the beauty of
the carving and the luxurious nature of the
material, it was treasured in ancient
Mesoamerica much as we appreciate it today for
its ancient magic and mystery.
- (PF.6236a)
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