Pre-Columbian, Caribbean, Dominican Republic, Taino, ca. 10th to 16th century CE. A fascinating stone sculpture known as a zemi - the representation of a god, spirit, or ancestor - featuring a haunting visage reminiscent of a skull, comprised of recessed eyes, annular nostrils, and an open mouth, all surmounted by a conical headdress with a mesmerizing motif of concentric circles. Owners of zemi figures have traditionally honored them with offerings of food or precious gifts. Each Zemi had its own identity and name, personality, distinct characteristics, and powers. Zemi figures are among the only pieces specifically referenced by Spanish chroniclers of the 15th century - and this is a fabulous example! Size: 4.6" W x 5.7" H (11.7 cm x 14.5 cm)

Taino art is comprised of many cult objects associated with the worship of "zemis." The term zemi refers to deities, ancestors, or earth spirits. Zemis like this example are believed to be inhabited by powerful spirits. Owners of zemi figures traditionally honored them with offerings of food or precious gifts. Each Zemi had its own identity and name, personality, and powers. These intriguing figures were also used for stands, reliquaries, and personal adornment, with many serving as implements in ceremonies involving a vegetal entheogen known as cohoba - a hallucinogenic powder or paste that was inhaled through snuff tubes.

This piece was from a pre-1970 Taino collection, and many of the pieces in the collection were on public display at the Museum of Native American History in Bentonville Arkansas from November 2016 to March 2019. Most of the artifacts came from Wilfred Belmar; born in the Dominican Republic, he began finding and collecting artefacts as a child through the 1930s and 1940s. This collection has been vetted by Dr. William F. Keegan, chairman and curator of the Anthropology Department of Natural History at the Florida Museum of Natural History, Associate Director for Research and Collections, professor of Anthropology and Curator of Latin American Studies at the University of Florida, and author of "Talking Taino" published 2008 and "The Oxford Handbook of Caribbean Archaeology" published in 2013. In 2015 he studied this collection and was quite impressed with the quality of the pieces. The pieces were also studied by Dr. John F. Scott, Professor Emeritus, Professor of Art History at the University of Florida and publisher of the textbooks: "Latin American Art: Ancient and Modern," "The Art of the Taino of the Dominican Republic" in 1985, and the 1970 Metropolitan Museum of Art catalog "Before Cortes."

Provenance: private J. Hart Collection, Houston, Texas, USA, acquired mid-1970's

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#174542

Some minor nicks and abrasions as shown, all commensurate with age. Otherwise, intact and excellent with nice remaining detail.