Sculpture Of The Deity Zemi In Taino Stone

Pre-Columbian area, Caribbean, possibly Dominican Republic, Taino Indians (Arawak), ca. 1000 to 1500 CE. An incredibly well preserved stone zemi depicting a Taino deity depicted in a crouching position with enormous eyes. Size: 12X7X2 CM According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, “creative sculptural expression, both extractive and additive, for the Taino peoples was closely linked to sacred concepts such as zemi, ceremony, and domination. Zemi figures were used as supports, reliquaries or personal adornments. (or cemi) is a term used by the Taino peoples, the various societies that inhabited the Antilles archipelago before European contact, which linguistically relates to a quality close to gentleness. Zemi does not refer to an object or image but to an immaterial, spiritual element and vital force belonging to deities and ancestors. There are several known zemi identities recorded by the Spanish, some of which have been linked to archaeological images. Provenance: Private collection, SPAIN, acquired in the mid-1970s Otherwise, intact and excellent with impressive preservation of detail.