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THBAuthentic Taino / Arawak Indians Stone Zemi
Lot 151
About Seller
Artemis Gallery
686 S Taylor Ave, Ste 106
Louisville, CO 80027
United States
Selling antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art online since 1993, Artemis Gallery specializes in Classical Antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanographic art. Our extensive inventory includes pottery, stone, metal, wood, glass and textil...Read more
Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$1,800 - $2,200
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About Auction
Live
By Artemis Gallery
Feb 27, 2020
Set Reminder
2020-02-27 10:00:00
2020-02-27 10:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : VARIETY SALE | Antiquities & Ethnographic Art
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/variety-sale-antiquities-ethnographic-art-4920
Around the world & back in time - be amazed at the treasures you will find. Antiquities from Egypt, Greece, Italy and the Near East, Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanic, Native American, Spanish Colonial, Russian Icons, Fine Art, much more! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
Around the world & back in time - be amazed at the treasures you will find. Antiquities from Egypt, Greece, Italy and the Near East, Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanic, Native American, Spanish Colonial, Russian Icons, Fine Art, much more! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (436)
- Lot Description
Pre-Columbian, Hispaniola, Greater Antilles Islands, Taino / Arawak Indians, ca. 1000 to 1500 CE. Carved from a rich, dark stone, a very expressive Zemi. Note the meticulously pecked and incised skeletal features of the face - those round deep-socketed eye orbitals, that prominent curved boney nose with pecked nostrils, that wide open mouth revealing seemingly countless menacing teeth, and that decorative headband with striated and matte glyphs adorning it, set between the zemi's circular ears. Zemi figures are among the only pieces specifically referenced by Spanish chroniclers of the 15th century - and this is a fabulous example. Size: 6.125" L x 4.5" W x 6.375" H (15.6 cm x 11.4 cm x 16.2 cm)
Taino art is comprised of many cult objects associated with the worship of "zemis". The term zemi refers to deities, ancestors, or earth spirits. The Zemi (or Cemi) head, with its characteristic three cardinal points, is a fundamental symbol in the Taino religion. Tainos traditionally name the three points "Yocahu Bagua Maorocoti" -- another word for the Creator, Yaya. Zemis like this example are believed to be inhabited by powerful spirits. The uppermost point represents the top of this sacred mountain peak, in the turey (sky) of the four directions, where Yaya - the Creator, whose name means that which has neither beginning nor end and which has no male ancestor or creator - resides. The 'chin' point represents Coabey, the underworld or place of the dead. Here Hupia, the spirit of the dead, resides, and the face of Guayaba, the Chief of Coabey, is represented. Finally, the opposite point represents the land of the living where Goiz, the spirit of living people, resides. A similar three-pointer example is shown in fig. 29a, p. 117 in "The Tainos: Rise and Decline of the People Who Greeted Columbus", (Irving Rouse, 1992).
Provenance: ex-private Shenassa collection, Los Angeles, California, USA; from a Los Angeles collection formed before 2000
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
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#153357Normal surface wear commensurate with age. Old nicks to high-pointed areas. Nice pecking marks and liberal traces of red pigment in recessed eye orbitals and nostrils. Stone also shows beautiful black inclusions and scattered deposits.Condition
- Shipping Info
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