A Taino Stone Macorix Head...

Description

A Taino Stone Macorix Head
The Caribbean Islands, c. 1200-1500 AD

Finely carved black diorite in form of a skull-like head with large oval eyes, wide open mouth, an incised design on the forehead of a circle and dot with radiating concentric lines and darts. The bottom curved as on traditional trigonolito zemis. "S1563" inscribed in white ink on the underside. In excellent condition.

Provenance:
Jeff Sadofsky
The Estate of Dr. Frank Toplak
Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity Signed by Steve Puttera, dated 10/15/13.

Note: Zemí sculptures are usually three-pointed stones, or trigonolitos, A point at each end and the nose or forehead of the head as the third point. Because they're most often found in plantations, it is believed they had a symbolic connection to fertility bestowed from revered ancestor spirits, especially for cultivated yuca (cassava), a staple root crop. Zemis were ancestral spirits thought to live in a statue or figure housed in the round temples. Alongside zemis, in the form of animals or humans, the temples also housed the skulls of the ancestors. For the Taíno, the spiritual power of a human was housed in the head, and especially the face. By keeping the skulls of their ancestors, the Taíno retained some of their spiritual essence. But these skulls were not always very well-preserved, so later Taínos (AD 1000 - AD 1500) used stone skulls and heads as surrogates for the real thing. These heads are known as 'Macorix' heads, given that a large number of them were excavated from the site of San Pedro de Macorís in the Dominican Republic.

Length: 6 ¾ inches

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