Superb & Important Taino Coral Zemi Face

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Exceptional Antiquities Ethnographic Fine Art...

By Artemis Gallery

Nov 10, 2022

Set Reminder 2022-11-10 10:00:00 2022-11-10 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Exceptional Antiquities Ethnographic Fine Art https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/exceptional-antiquities-ethnographic-fine-art-11148
Museum-worthy examples of classical antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Viking, Far East / Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal, Oceanic, Native American, Spanish Colonial, Nautical, Fossils, Ancient Jewelry, Fine / Visual Arts, so much more! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com

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• Lot Description
  Pre-Columbian, Caribbean, Taino, ca. 1000 to 1500 CE. A stunning and scarce life-sized face of a zemi (sometimes cemi) carved from a single piece of coral! The forward-facing visage is relief carved with distinctive skeletal details: prominent cheekbones, sunken eyes, and wide, open mouth. The representation of such a cadaverous head may stem from the traditional practice of keeping skulls from important ancestors which were venerated. This type of coral is often called brain coral due to the grooved maze like and wrinkled surface that resembles a brain. These corals will naturally grow in hemispherical and domed shapes in shallow water, and this piece may have been collected or washed up on shore where it was then further shaped into this visage. The ocean was an invaluable resource for the Taino, they were dependent on the coral reefs that harbored fish and other crustaceans they hunted - perhaps this coral zemi was further imbued with power from this natural life force. Size: 8" L x 4.5" W x 11" H (20.3 cm x 11.4 cm x 27.9 cm); 13" H (33 cm) on included custom stand.
  
  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-William Belmar collection, acquired in Tobago in the 1940s
  
  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.
  
  We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
  
  #174537

  Condition

  Chips and abrasions to coral ridges on visage. Some softening to carving, but overall excellent condition. Grooved abrasion to verso, possibly from previous display stand. Mineral and earthen deposits within recessed areas.
• Shipping Info

  • Artemis Gallery will no longer be able to offer in-house shipping for most international orders, as well as all oversized orders, including most paintings. These items are clearly marked in the listing as “3rd Party Shipping Required” in the listing. We have a list of recommended third party shippers to assist you in shipping to and from, and would be happy to assist you in working with them. We require a written authorization from the client to release property to any third party. You may fax a Shipping Release Form to 303-828-3235 or email your authorization to kristen@artemisgallery.com. Please note the all property must be removed from our premises within seven (7) business days following the last day of the auction.

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