Rare Taino Stone Zemi Stamp w/ Linear Glyphs

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It's a Small World | Diminutive Artifacts

By Artemis Gallery

Nov 11, 2021

Set Reminder 2021-11-11 12:00:00 2021-11-11 12:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : It's a Small World | Diminutive Artifacts https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/its-a-small-world-diminutive-artifacts-7836
Join us for a very special auction featuring art & artifacts from East to West, North to South, and everywhere in between - with one small thing in common - size! Everything in this auction is approximately 6 inches or less - perfect for that last bit of shelf space in your curio cabinet! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com

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• Lot Description
  Pre-Columbian, Caribbean, Dominican Republic, Taino, ca. 15th century CE. This is a remarkable hand-carved zemi figural stamp made from a creamy white quartzite stone that has mottled brown inclusions across the surface. The zemi is low relief carved and crouches with the legs drawn inward, knees touching, the hands resting above with stylized head facing forward. The visage is comprised of string cut linear grooves to create the mouth, nasolabial folds, and triangular nose; and the drilled eyes are circular and wide - giving an intense, gaunt expression. The flat verso that functions as the stamp face is etched with labyrinth like linear and circular glyphs that were probably used to paint the body or possibly to impress pottery. Imprint designs, like the ones here - curved right angles emanating from the center - are almost always geometric combinations of straight and wavy lines. A superb and beautiful example of this zemi figural stamp! Size: 3.25" L x 2" W (8.3 cm x 5.1 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
  
  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.
  
  #167559

  Condition

  Minor surface abrasions to verso and chips to high pointed areas, otherwise intact and very good. Natural black and brown stone inclusion. Surface is polished and smooth, with great preservation to carved details.
• Shipping Info

  • All shipping is handled in-house for your convenience. Your invoice from Artemis Gallery will include shipping calculation instructions. If in doubt, please inquire BEFORE bidding for estimated shipping costs for individual items.

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