The Olmec began playing ballgames around 1800 BC, an activity that soon became an important part of Mesoamerican life. This book accompanies an exhibition at the Mint Museum of Art in North Carolina and includes 11 essays from the world's leading authorities on Mesoamerican art and culture. The contributors consider all aspects of ballgames, enactment, gender and symbolic aspects, the regalia worn, performance', the court setting, and the legacy of the game. The catalogue contains many superb colour photographs of figurines, painted and sculpted vessels and relief panels.