Name: Vera Cruz Stone Carved Effigy Yoke
Brand: Art for Eternity
SKU: 15600
Availability: InStock

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Late Classic Circa 600 to 900 AD.

This classic U-shaped Mesoamerican yoke is made of a hard dense, grayish greenstone and has a light patina of reddish cinnabar that highlights the elaborate structural carvings of the faces of lords or deities that adorn the sides of the yoke. The ends carved with skull with deeply drilled orbits and teeth; the curved central section adorned with three carved round heraldic symbols.
This mysterious stone yoke is associated with the world's earliest known ballgame courts, where two teams of Mayan athletes were pitted against one another in a brutal athletic battle, with the stakes of the ballgame being life or death.
Multiplayer games were invented by the Mayans, and these games were considered deeply sacred rituals which mirrored the cosmos and affected human survival. The games were designed and played with the Mayan's belief system in mind; the interplay between the two opposing teams represented the process of never-ending conflict between opposing forces in nature, which in itself restores and sustains balance, order and harmony in the universe.
The two teams represented a variety of opposing forces in nature - day and night, dark and light, masculine and feminine, life and death. The winners of the game were allowed to live, and the losers of the game were killed in a ritual sacrifice, their blood spilled into the ground, their life force believed to nourish the next cycle of rains, crops, and human fertility.
It was considered a deep honor for a loser of the game to be sacrificed in this manner, because of the belief that his death sustained the life, prosperity and well-being of the remaining members of the Mayan society.
While at first this idea may feel barbaric to our contemporary sensibility, it is interesting to note that we as Westerners reserve the same sense of deeply held respect for our soldiers that die in battle, and we consider their sacrifice, which we believe to sustain our life and civilization, to be a great honor.
Yokes such as this one, with the exact same shape and dimensions, are found concentrated at the all of the major sites of Mayan games, such as Chichen Itza, a major pre-Colombian site which includes a large rectangular ball court of lush green grass, surrounded by a stone amphitheater for spectators.
The prevailing theory about the yokes' purpose is that they were worn as belts by the athletes and used as a part of the game, perhaps as a surface upon which the athletes bounced the ball. The athletes may have worn wooden yokes, and the stone may be ceremonial replicas - burial sites near the ball courts have revealed bodies discovered wearing stone yokes.
This theory is based upon the discovery of stone effigy figurines of Mayan athletes that consistently depict the athletes dressed in full ceremonial gear - including these U-shaped yokes, which are always situated around the waists of the athletes. These sculpted figurines often depict the yokes with representations of leather or fabric around the body to show how the yokes are held in place around the athlete's waists.

This is a choice and rare museum quality artifact.

Provenance: From the Collection of Mr. Wallace Katz, New York, NY; ex. Robert Edwards Collection, 1978.

Size: 14 inches (35.5cm) L. x 15-1/2 inches (39.5cm) W x 4 inches (10cm) H + custom wood turntable base included which adds considerable height and presence.

References
Whittington, E. Michael. The Sport of Life and Death: The Mesoamerican Ballgame. Thames and Hudson, 2001.

Secrets in Stone: Yokes, Hachas and Palmas from Southern Mesoamerica by E. M. Shook & E. Marquis.

All pieces are unconditionally guaranteed authentic and as described in perpetuity and have been legally acquired and imported in full accordance with U.S. and applicable foreign regulations regarding the movement and sale of antiquities.

A signed guarantee of authenticity with a description and photograph of the item(s) accompanies this object.

We ship Tuesday to Friday with UPS or USPS and usually same day if your order is received before 2pm. Depending on size and destination, delivery times range from one to five business days.

For overseas shipments our shipping charge includes packing, preparation of all customs paperwork, insurance and carrier fees in compliance with all USA and International customs requirements.

Overseas shipments are usually sent by courier but contact us if you have a shipping preference. International customers are responsible for all duties and taxes.

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