Pre-Columbian, Caribbean Islands, Taino people, ca. 1000 to 1500 CE. A miniature stone owl zemi with a shallow socket on the base - perhaps this carving was a finial or amulet to channel the bird's supernatural power. Taino spirituality revolved around ancestor and spirit worship via carved stone figures called "zemis" that embodied the spirits and deity figures the Taino venerated. Owls, as nocturnal hunters, represented the underworld and thought to carry opias (hupias) - the spirits of the recently deceased - to the next stage of existence and these bird's hoots and screeches were omens believed to announce impending death or the arrival of spirits from the beyond. Shamans communicated with owls during rituals to coax the opias of the seriously ill or recently deceased, back to their bodies. These shamans often wore owl costumes - the anthropomorphic hands that rest across the chest represent the close connection the Taino felt with these mysterious birds. Size: 1" L x 0.75" W x 1.5" H (2.5 cm x 1.9 cm x 3.8 cm); 2" H (5.1 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-William and Marion Schulevitz collection, New York, USA, acquired in the 1980s

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#176539

Intact and excellent with minor surface wear and light mineral deposits on surface.