Lot 136A
Pre-Columbian, Caribbean / Florida, Arawak People, Taino, ca. 1000 to 1500 CE. A fascinating stone offering tablet in the abstract form of a crouching frog with huge, round eyes, a recessed mouth, and bent legs with delineated toes. This sculpture likely doubled as a zemi, the representation of a god, spirit, or ancestor. Owners of zemi figures have traditionally honored them with offerings of food or precious gifts. Each Zemi had its own identity and name, personality, distinct characteristics, and powers. Zemi figures are among the only pieces specifically referenced by Spanish chroniclers of the 15th century - and this is a fabulous example! Size: 4.3" L x 5.8" W x 3.3" H (10.9 cm x 14.7 cm x 8.4 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.
Provenance: private Rochester, Michigan, USA collection; ex-Campbell Wylly Estate, who was the 19th Assistant Curator for the Museum of Modern Art, New Youk, New York, USA
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#182661
- Condition: Heavy weathering and softening of detail, but otherwise, intact.
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