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This is an incredibly rare and unusual example of
Taino stone carving. It depicts a creature in a
crouching position with its legs folded under the
body. The large circular eyes dominate the face,
set either side of an elongated snout/nose.
Beneath this are two paws or legs, briefly
indicated with long straight incisions and two
oval indentations. The other elements of the
body are difficult to read; for example, the
intricately incised panels on the sides could be
wings or limbs. An interest in complex
geometrical forms is a recurring feature in Taino
art and this piece is no exception. The labyrinth-
style designs may reflect high quality textiles or
tattoos worn by the Taino elite. In any case they
are likely to have had a cosmological significance
that is difficult to reconstruct today.
The Taino flourished in the islands of the
Caribbean c.1200-1500. They had a highly
developed belief system that focused on the
worship of zemis. A zemi was the physical
manifestation of a god, spirit or ancestor. The
chieftains (caciques) encouraged ancestor
worship and were often deified after death. The
religious leaders or shamans were believed to be
able to communicate with the souls of the dead
when intoxicated by the hallucinogenic cohoba.
A preoccupation with death is evident in many
Taino art-forms and partly explains the
prevalence of zoomorphic images. Bats, owls and
frogs were all popular motifs and were regarded
as harbingers of death. Even more relevant in
this case was the belief that the dead could be
reborn in animal form. Animals were also
regarded as the earliest ancestors in Taino
creation myths. A sculpture of this size and
complexity undoubtedly belonged to one of the
chieftains or a member of his retinue and must
have had an important function in religious
ritual.
- (AM.0084)
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