Source: Linda Schele and Mary Ellen Miller. The Blood of Kings; Dynasty and Ritual in Maya Art. Fort Worth: Kimbell Art Museum, 1986, p. 261, plate 98.
Notes: This is a polychrome ceramic figurine of a ballplayer from Campeche. It is from the late Classic period (700 - 900). It is housed now in the Seattle Art Museum. Notice especially the tranquil dignity seen in his facial expression. Other aspects of this sculpture are simpler, more stylized. In his left hand he holds an axe (hacha), which is also held by his yoke or ballplayer's belt. His headdress is in a bird form. The cloth strips on the headdress may indicate that this is the depiction of a captive or penitent. For a view of a Mayan ballgame court, see the Chichén Itzá images (=> #7, #8, #9).
Latin American humanities motifs: sports; realism; religio; ritual