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THBFine Taino Stone Maskette of Zemi or Cacique Face
Lot 100
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:
$1,500 - $2,250
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| $0 | $25 |
| $300 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 | $20,000 |
About Auction
Live
By Artemis Gallery
Dec 16, 2021
Set Reminder
2021-12-16 10:00:00
2021-12-16 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-8026
Featuring classical antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art from cultures encompassing the globe. Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Near Eastern, Asian, Pre-Columbian, Native American, African / Tribal, Oceanic, Spanish Colonial, Russian, Fossils, Fine Art, more! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
Featuring classical antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art from cultures encompassing the globe. Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Near Eastern, Asian, Pre-Columbian, Native American, African / Tribal, Oceanic, Spanish Colonial, Russian, Fossils, Fine Art, more! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (361)
- Lot Description
Pre-Columbian, Caribbean, Dominican Republic, Taino, ca. 15th century CE. An intriguing, hand-carved zemi (sometimes cemi) maskette carved from a dense, dark brown-black stone, with the distinctive large and sunken eyes, like a skull. The verso is smooth and slightly concave, while the forward-facing visage is relief carved with prominent aquiline nose and wide, leering mouth. The representation of such a cadaverous head may stem from the traditional practice of keeping skulls from important ancestors which were venerated. The mask was possibly used as a grave marker and represented a cacique - a Taino chief or a zemi spirit. Taino art is comprised of many religious objects associated with the worship of zemis; carvings that housed the spirits of deities. ancestors, or earth spirits. Size: 5" L x 3.75" W x 3" H (12.7 cm x 9.5 cm x 7.6 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. Zemis like this example are believed to be inhabited by powerful spirits. Owners of zemi figures traditionally honored them with offerings of food or precious gifts. Each Zemi had its own identity and name, personality, and powers. These intriguing figures were also used for stands, reliquaries, and personal adornment, with many serving as implements in ceremonies involving a vegetal entheogen known as cohoba - a hallucinogenic powder or paste that was inhaled through snuff tubes.
This piece was from a pre-1970 Taino collection, and many of the pieces in the collection were on public display at the Museum of Native American History in Bentonville Arkansas from November 2016 to March 2019. Most of the artifacts came from Wilfred Belmar; born in the Dominican Republic, he began finding and collecting artefacts as a child through the 1930s and 1940s. This collection has been vetted by Dr. William F. Keegan, chairman and curator of the Anthropology Department of Natural History at the Florida Museum of Natural History, Associate Director for Research and Collections, professor of Anthropology and Curator of Latin American Studies at the University of Florida, and author of "Talking Taino" published 2008 and "The Oxford Handbook of Caribbean Archaeology" published in 2013. In 2015 he studied this collection and was quite impressed with the quality of the pieces. The pieces were also studied by Dr. John F. Scott, Professor Emeritus, Professor of Art History at the University of Florida and publisher of the textbooks: "Latin American Art: Ancient and Modern," "The Art of the Taino of the Dominican Republic" in 1985, and the 1970 Metropolitan Museum of Art catalog "Before Cortes."
Provenance: private J. Hart Collection, Houston, Texas, USA, acquired mid-1970s; ex-Essex collection
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.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
#167676Minor surface nicks and abrasions on frontside and chips on verso, otherwise intact and excellent. Old inventory number and label written on verso surface.Condition
- Shipping Info
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