Maya Stone Hacha of a Bat

Harry Franklin, Beverly Hills

Private European Collection, acquired from the above on December 31, 1966

Thence by descent

Of tall elegant form with a sweeping coiled tapering tail surmounting the bat head. The facial design continues the curvilinear design with the double scroll above the recessed eye and strong jawline. While typical bat hachas feature the pointed ear and tragus, the small flattened nose here is most typical of the bat. Combining the dominant attributes of key animals such as the bat and serpent, is a characteristic of hachas from the southern Maya region. The bat is recognized for its powerful nocturnal hunting abilities and is a key player in the mythology of the Underworld.

For a similar hacha see, Edwin M. Shook and Elayne Marquis, Secrets in Stone: Yokes, Hachas and Palmas from Southern Mesoamerica, Philadelphia, 1996, p. 78, B2, and p. 82, B17.