Taino Artifacts

We have a bunch of those as well... Plenty of them around Cap-Haitien... Hard to tell which ones are authentic... I am just thinking it would take someone with Taino knowledge to forge those artifacts... It is mostly never the case in north Haiti...

There is a wonderful restaurant/hotel in SD between the Malecon and Avenida Independencia on I think Calle Felix Ma. Lluberes [someone here may have the name of it]. The restaurant has a nice collection of authentic Taino artifacts the owner displays in the dinning room. I spoke with him about them on my last visit and he seems quite knowledgeable and may know the value of these priceless items. If you are in SD it would not hurt to go by, take a look, and speak with the owner. Also, check with the Museum of the Modern Dominican Man [a great place to visit for those who have not already done so].

According to the museum, all archeological Precolombian artifacts belong (ownership) to the state, albeit individuals can possess (possession) items with the explicit condition that they are registered (classified and catalogued) by the museum, who can request them for exhibit purposes at any time. All my life, I've only heard of one person ever being prosecuted for trafficking, and it was an Israel citizen who overtly bought and sold specially rare and costly artifacts. I'm sure his activity fell into the ears of the authority because he raised the greed and ire of important local individual collectors.

cobraboy said:

That is what we were told today. We met with one of the Archiologists from Centro Leon today, Dr. Carlos Andujar, and he confirmed the pieces were from the 1300-1500 period when the Taino art was at it's peak, and were authentic. They are the real deal. He said they were very rare because most Taino artifacts were wood or pottery, and didn't stand the test of time well. He suggested we register them with the State, and consider a donation to a museum.

We know where more are, and will be trying to acquire several additions. We intend to find a good museum for them, possibly Centro Leon. He was certainly quite interested in displaying them.

I'll take a few pics and post them tomorrow.

Really neat to stumble upon these...

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I would like to se some photos of these rare and important relics.
Its very good news when you are considering to donate the objects to states museum.

I`ll buy you a beer one day if you do this. Ok maybe two beers.

Yucahu-Bagua-Maorocoti

Very similar to an artifact I posted awhile ago. It's made from the same material (basaltic rock) and style. When I placed it on my altar ("21 Divisi?n"), all candles went out, and a tall large mirror, leaning against a wall, spinned and fell breaking into small shards. Months later, the entire compound, including the altar, burned to the ground.

I'm in search for a new home for my Zem?

Great photos. Thanks for sharing. :glasses:

That's quite impressive, I'll ask our resident Taino to see what he thinks.

JRMirador said:

Very similar to an artifact I posted awhile ago. It's made from the same material (basaltic rock) and style. When I placed it on my altar ("21 Divisi?n"), all candles went out, and a tall large mirror, leaning against a wall, spinned and fell breaking into small shards. Months later, the entire compound, including the altar, burned to the ground.

I'm in search for a new home for my Zem?

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JRMirador, that story about your zem? is fascinating, what's your take on it?

cobraboy said:

The two pieces examined by Dr. Andujar-

The 25 peso coin is to show relative size.

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Cobraboy,

Their condition looks wonderful, you must be excited. I hope you find them a good home, wherever that may be.

Chip said:

That's quite impressive, I'll ask our resident Taino to see what he thinks.

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Thanks Chip,
Sorry been busy as usual, so I didnt get to this sooner.
The cemi's are beautiful indeed. The style is a bit different that I am used to seeing, although this is probably a regional example. Two things:
1) the artifacts look like "Macorix heads" which is a style used by the Macorix Indians of the DR who were culturally Taino but linguistically different. The Macorix's cemis almost always involve depictions of heads.
2) true to Taino style ceramics/wood/stone craft they are both in the Janus mode. If you look at them from one angle you get a certain image, but when you flip to another angle it gives you another image. Almost all Taino artwork reflects this. Perhaps my ancestors were trying to depict the duality of nature through this style of cemi.
All the best
Baracutei

montreal said:

JRMirador, that story about your zem? is fascinating, what's your take on it?

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Sorry, Montreal, I just read your comment on my post while reading Baracutei's comment on Chips artifacts. I was hoping he mention my zemi also.

Montreal, I swear I'm scientifically oriented, nevertheless, just like my African ancestry, I also carry superstition behind the ears ("detr?s de la oreja", as the saying goes). An associate advised me not to put the zemi ("cabeza de indio", as it's typically called in the Southwest) on the surface of the altar. I was suggested to put the zemi inside a gourd filled with water and place it underneath the altar, level with the ground, since, otherwise, there would be conflict. The "indios" are a fierce crowd, and proud to boot. They would not get along with the "sweet" spirits represented by the Christian saints on top of the altar. Personally, I've never accepted the multi-tiered altars of my associates. I invariably relate the bottom tier with sorcery and witchcraft, something I despise. I accepted the zemi from the son of a friend, who found it half burried in a gully where he regularly went to take care of business. I usually stay away from artifacts that I have not found myself. I wonder who handled them, what negative energies they could possess, etc. My mentor and relative, don Pedro Romero, El Misionero de La Maguana, gave me a horse-shoe shaped meteorite which surrounded his previous "calvario". It's mine, but I would not dare move it from its current place. I'm ready to throw my zemi back into the wild, however, maybe a museum would take it.

JR

Caribbean Sculptures

I am interested in caribbean indian sculptures.
I know some important collections in Europ.
There are many very nice pieces as stone idols or bone amulets and shell pendants.
Where is the restaurant where the two heads are showed ? I traveled last year trough DR and I would like to go again on next 2009.
Thanks for more informations and photos.
MR

cobraboy said:

How common are these, what is their worth, and how does one authenticate them?

I ask because we came across some very rural farmers through trusted family members. We saw some carved rocks, rock sculptures, really, of heads, and asked about them. They claim to find in their fields occasionally while plowing, especially newer fields.

They just pile them up. We bought a few, very, very inexpensively, so even if they are the real thing, no harm done at all. And there are many more.

Just wondering...

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The first picture(carving) looks almost identical to one that I found many years ago on the banks of the Fraser River in British Columbia, Canada. Now also in a museum. Those are amazing finds.

I dear i'm new here..... i just read your post.....and i want to know what did you do to met this guy ?????...i beleive he retired...??? since that time..
anyway can you give me some adresse.... because i have one taino head since begining 1980...and it looks like yours
and how do i proced if i want to show it to a museum and how to select it........any idea of the value market.....
Lempicka ;-)

Guys, remember that taking out of the country taino artifacts is ilegal unless is authorized, which happen only for research purposes, if you are planning to do that you should maybe contact museo del hombre to at least get a good data from the artifact before it goes for ever.
every artifact people buy and remove from the country is a piece of history that goes away forever.

I could put you in contact with a very good archeologist that could at least look at the stuff and study and catalog them, or at least ask him how to proceed, but the most important is not to take it before somebody can look at it, and keep some phone number or something in case of further studies are needed.

The Museo del Hombre Dominicano in Santo Domingo should be your best resource. Last time I was in SD I picked up a good book on the subject of Taino Art by Daniel DuVall who has exhibited there.