Maya Guatemalan Honda (Slingshot) Last 1/2 of 20th Cent. All Slingshots Come w. Stand
Anonymous Artisan
Carved wood
Ht. 6" x W. 1" x D. 1"
The slingshot is an ancient weapon, although before the discovery of the vulcanization of rubber in the mid 19th century, it was more like a stone in a cloth sling, or a catapult. It is allegedly what David used to defeat Goliath! The Guatemalan word for these slingshots is honda, literally catapult. In Guatemala, slingshots are used, not so much to hunt small animals but more to scare them away during planting and harvest to keep them from eating the seeds or crops.
It became apparent to artists that these utilitarian objects represented an excellent opportunity for creativity. They are in the same category as a Japanese netsuke, a utilitarian item that has become a highly refined work of art. There was no limit to the imagination of Guatemalan wood carvers, who used the form to carve animals, human figures, daily life, Maya iconography, religious subjects, erotic art, or often the personal vision of the carver. Slingshot carving has died out, so it is the vintage and antique slingshots that offer the collector items with widely varied imagination and exquisite skill. They are beautiful little carvings, each one an enticement to see what the next one will be! The vintage slingshots here here all come with a display stand.