Hacha or marker

This sculpture made of green stone depicts a turkey fanning out its tail. Besides dogs and bees, turkeys were the only domesticated animals in pre-Spanish Mesoamerica, where they were an important source of food. Turkey meat was also included in sacrifices offered to the gods. Note the realistic, three-dimensional rendering of the bird‘s head with its characteristic comb hanging on one side.This sculpture is connected with the Mesoamerican ball game. It served as a hacha, that is the stomach protection of a player participating in the ball game. It remains unclear if players actually wore stone sculptures like this one, or if they are only ceremonial copies of stomach protections made of a lighter material.