Ceremonial Ballgame Object

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Culture Veracruz

Title Ceremonial Ballgame Object (Palma)

Date 600–700

Medium Stone

Dimensions Object: 15 1/8 × 7 1/8 × 6 3/8 in. (38.4 × 18.1 × 16.2 cm)
Overall (includes mount): 17 5/8 × 8 1/4 × 7 1/8 in. (44.8 × 21 × 18.1 cm)

Credit Line Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University

Accession Number 62.18

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About this Work

During the Mesoamerican ballgame, the Veracruz players wore palmas, made not of stone but a lighter material, perhaps leather or cotton, as one element of their regalia that served to protect the major organs from the hard rubber ball, which while hollow could be up to 16 pounds.

Stone palmas created in the Veracruz style, represent this attire and commonly are decorated with scrolls and birds. Birds had an important place in the ballgame as they were associated with visions and used as sacrifices. Some scholars have suggested that stone palmas were worn only during the ceremonial events which took place before and after a game.

Provenance
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Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

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"Ceremonial Ballgame Object | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=62.18