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Taino communities were the first that Columbus
encountered during his exploration of Hispaniola
in 1492. Traditional Pre-Columbian scholarship
focused on the mainland societies of the Incas,
Aztecs and Maya, but since the 1950s there has
been growing awareness that Taino culture was
highly sophisticated and deserves more detailed
study. Politically, the Taino were divided up into
separate communities ruled by chieftains
(caciques) whose power had increased
considerably by the time of the Spanish arrival.
Religiously, the Taino were polytheistic and
worshipped a pantheon of gods who were
believed to control the natural elements.
Ancestor worship was also important and the
deification of deceased chieftains reinforced the
political authority of their successors. An
elaborate ritual system was developed to honour
and placate these deities (zemis) and this
probably provides the context for the present
piece.
The shape of this stone carving is unusual and
its function is not immediately clear. It may have
been attached to a wooden shaft and used as a
ceremonial axe or sceptre. The front depicts a
human face with skeletal features. The eye-
sockets are deeply carved and linked by the
opening that runs across the bridge of the large,
protruding nose. The wide grimacing mouth is
typical of Taino zemi sculptures, as is the
squatting position indicated at the base of the
sculpture. The proportions of the body have
been deliberately distorted to dramatic effect. At
the end of the long neck (?), the hands rest upon
the knees, and the lower legs are tucked tightly
under the body. This was a position customarily
assumed by Taino shamans when they attempted
to contact the souls of deceased ancestors. This
was only possible after they entered a trance-like
state induced through the inhalation of the
hallucinogenic cohoba. This sculpture
encapsulates the inventiveness and dynamism
that typify Taino art-forms and offers a glimpse
into the mysteries of their religious ritual. (AM)
- (LK.054)
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