Although commonly referred to as 'yokes', these magnificently sculpted objects were used as moulds for shaping the protective leather waist belts worn by ball game players. The dense, non-porous, highly polished stone provided an ideal base upon which to fashion the wet leather. When dry, the belt was stuffed with softer material (perhaps kapok from the ceiba tree, or cotton), and then secured around the waist to cushion the impact of the heavy rubber ball. The belt was charged with symbolic significance: the creature depicted on it is a toad - a zoomorphic representation of the earth. With the belt at mid-body, the player stood in the navel of the toad at the threshold to the underworld. The ball-court itself was a carefully circumscribed sacred space and an entrance to the spirit world. Political rivalries were settled in certain ball-game contests which ended in sacrifice by decapitation.

This object is part of "Scan The World". Scan the World is a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory, through which we are creating a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks and landmarks from across the globe for the public to access for free. Scan the World is an open source, community effort, if you have interesting items around you and would like to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to find out how you can help.

Scanned : Photogrammetry (Processed using Agisoft PhotoScan)