Rare Taino Stone Stamp with Zemi Head Handle

Pre-Columbian, Caribbean/Florida, Taino people, ca. 15th century CE. A heavy stone stamp with its handle in the form of a zemi head. Zemi figures traditionally represent ancestors, with cadaverous features - like this one, with its gaping eye sockets, lack of nose, and wide, leering grin. Below the head, the body of the stamp broadens out to a disc-like base. This kind of functional abstract art -stamps that were probably made to paint the body or possibly to impress pottery - are commonly found in Taino archaeological sites. Stamp designs, like the ones here - curved right angles emanating from the center - are almost always geometric combinations of straight and wavy lines. Size: 3.6" W x 4.25" H (9.1 cm x 10.8 cm)

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

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#147526
Condition Report: Light wear commensurate with age, including some deposits and small scratches and nicks. Overall in beautiful condition with well preserved form and details.