Taino Stone Standing Zemi Figure

Pre-Columbian, Caribbean/Florida, Arawak People, Taino, ca. 15th century CE. A fascinating stone carving of a stylized figure of ovoid form. Highly abstract and minimalistic, the ancient figure displays attenuated arms bent at the elbows to rest on his chest, just above a drooping belly and short, tapered legs held together. His body is mostly dominated by his sizeable head, which features bulging, annular eyes beneath an arched brow, a straight nose, and an open mouth - as though in a trance-like state - all framed by a helmet-like coiffure and pointed headdress. Size: 6.125" L x 2.875" W (15.6 cm x 7.3 cm)

According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, "Zemi (or cemi) is a term used by Taino peoples, the diverse societies that inhabited the Antilles archipelago before European contact, that linguistically relates to a quality akin to sweetness. Zemi refers not to an object or image but to an immaterial, spiritual, and vital force pertaining 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 J. S. collection, Sedona, Arizona, USA, acquired in Cap-Haitien, Haiti, in the 1980s

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#165913
Condition Report: Expected surface wear with light abrasions and softening of detail. Otherwise, intact and excellent.