Dominican Republic, Taino culture
1200 to 1500 AD
Stone
Length: 5¼ in, Height: 4 in
Provenance: Jim Connely, Los Angeles, California
Taino zemis are carved stone or wood objects representing ancestral or nature spirits central to Taino religious and ceremonial life in the pre Columbian Caribbean. They were kept in household shrines, used in rituals involving cohoba, a ceremonial hallucinogenic snuff, and served as vessels through which caciques and behiques, or chiefs and shamans, communicated with the supernatural world. The Taino inhabited the Greater Antilles, including present day Hispaniola, prior to European contact in 1492.
This example presents a stylized zoomorphic or anthropomorphic face with rounded, inset features and a compact triangular form typical of Taino stone carving. The surface shows an even, weathered patina with mineral and soil deposits consistent with long burial, and the features show slight softening from age and handling. The compact scale and dense stone material are characteristic of small portable zemis used in personal or household devotion.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Dominican Republic, Taino culture
1200 to 1500 AD
Stone
Length: 5¼ in, Height: 4 in
Provenance: Jim Connely, Los Angeles, California
Taino zemis are carved stone or wood objects representing ancestral or nature spirits central to Taino religious and ceremonial life in the pre Columbian Caribbean. They were kept in household shrines, used in rituals involving cohoba, a ceremonial hallucinogenic snuff, and served as vessels through which caciques and behiques, or chiefs and shamans, communicated with the supernatural world. The Taino inhabited the Greater Antilles, including present day Hispaniola, prior to European contact in 1492.
This example presents a stylized zoomorphic or anthropomorphic face with rounded, inset features and a compact triangular form typical of Taino stone carving. The surface shows an even, weathered patina with mineral and soil deposits consistent with long burial, and the features show slight softening from age and handling. The compact scale and dense stone material are characteristic of small portable zemis used in personal or household devotion.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
