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The Taino flourished in the Caribbean between
c.1200-1500. They were the first Americans to
make contact with the Spanish in 1492 and to
suffer as a result. Many of the features today
associated with the Taino, such as ball-courts
and three-pointers (trigonolitos), were first used
by their predecessors who migrated to the
islands from both South America and
Mesoamerica. This highly polished stone celt is a
marvelous example of the artistic capabilities of
Taino craftsmen. Undecorated celts served a
practical function and were often used as axe
heads (the ovoid stones were attached to long
wooden shafts for this purpose). The carved
examples undoubtedly belonged to the Taino
chieftains, or caciques, who utilized them as
symbols of authority and wealth.
This example depicts a zemi, the physical
manifestation of a god, spirit or ancestor. The
Taino were polytheistic and worshipped a
number of deities whom they believed controlled
the elements, the success of the crops and
fertility. Ancestor worship was also important
and both the chieftains and shamans claimed to
be able to communicate with the dead. This was
made possible by inducing a hallucinogenic state
through the inhalation of cohoba. Many Taino
art-forms depict zemis in skeletal form. This
may relate to burial practices among the Taino
elite. It was customary for the corpse to be
exposed to the elements and the skulls and long
bones were then preserved in wooden urns or
hung from the rafters of the house. The zemi has
round eye sockets and an oval shaped mouth.
The arms and legs are depicted in the ritual
squatting position assumed by shamans during
the cohoba ritual. This was clearly an object of
considerable spiritual and social significance to
its original owners and continues to astound us
today. (AM)
- (FF.039)
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