Pre-Columbian, Caribbean, Taino, ca. 1000 to 1500 CE. A pair of balls, carved in the form of a near perfect sphere, and perhaps for use in a ceremonial ball game. Stone spheres have been found in burials of the Ciboney and Taino people, but their purpose is unclear. The beauty and near perfect forms were achieved by pecking and polishing. Ball courts have been found in parts of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, where a Mesoamerican ballgame was played with a rubber ball. It is possible that stone balls were votive objects or a trophy for the ball game. Given its orb-like appearance, scholars have also suggested that it may have been created to symbolize the sun or another celestial body. Size of larger: 2.5" Diameter (6.4 cm); smaller: 2.2" Diameter (5.6 cm)

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-Robert Dowling collection, San Francisco, California, USA.

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#184568

Some wear to surfaces as expected with age and exposure to elements. Small fissure on the larger stone and minor nicks on both. Otherwise intact and great condition.