Want more images or videos?

Request additional images or videos from the seller

1 of 17

Caribbean Rich Treasure Jade, Female "Fertility" Pendant, 500 Years#6

$3,500List Price

About the Item

Pre-Columbian, Hispaniola, Arawak Peoples, Taino Native Indians, 1000-1500 CE. , #6 Taino Jade Female Anthropic pendant of a seated "Hands on Stomach" Fertility Figure , 1000-1500 AD Carved in a rich dark jade. Lovely example. This is a fine and important hand carved jade ancestor sculpture fashioned as a pendant from the Arawak Peoples of the Greater Antilles Islands, Dominican Republic. It is a rare and choice example. Taino jades are extremely uncommon due to lack of local island jade cobble resources. Jade was likely traded into this country hundreds of years ago and this work of art is just one of a small collection found in a cave in LaAltagracia Provonce, Dominican Republic in 1958. Dimensions: 2.9 inches high, 7.4 cm Certificate of Authenticity. Sometimes described as a jade -cemi- this work of art belongs to a broader category of Taino art also called -zemis-. This term refers to the physical incarnation of a Taino god, spirit or ancestor. This figure may represent a Taino in trance and might have adorned Cohoba ceremonies where hallucinogenic substances like cohoba were consumed to induce trances to communicate with the gods. It features decorative tattoo on the head top while the figure maintains a meditative pose. While the precise function of such objects remain somewhat a mystery- they continue to impress us with their bold abstract form and magical associations. This remarkable sculpture figure is carved in a dark, rich blue green jade with a smattering of brown inclusions. This quintessential and rare example is classicly seated with typical conical head, slanted eyes, hands on knees, prominent nasal, wide open mouth, and pointed base. It is the first and only example of this form we have seen , and a unique jade carving. As chieftains and important shamans were deified after death this sculpture may represent a cacique chief or high status member of Taino Community. The arrangement of the figure’s limbs is an elaboration of the ritual squatting position that zemis assume in surviving stone amulets. In this case the legs are held up vertically with the feet resting under the waist. Both the face and in particular, the back of the body, are skeletal in appearance with prominent hollow joints. The wide eye-sockets and gaping jaw are deeply carved and both the forehead and the chin project outwards at a sharp angle. The emaciated look on the reverse, is carved in the half round. Both the ribs and the spine are indicated, set between elaborate geometric motifs which may indicate the presence of tattoos. The figure appears to rests on a simply carved pedestal. To western sensibilities there is an obvious contradiction between the figure’s reverse skeletal form, suggestive of mortality. A carving from this rare stone and quality and size must have belonged to a chieftain or ranking member of the royal household. Although Taino left no written documents, Spanish settlers did record native practices and one account refers to special structures in which chieftains stored their Trove of zemi carvings. The Taino believed in existence of afterlife and Shamanic ability to communicate with the dead. This sculpture may well have been present and on display in such a ceremony or perhaps a focus of ancestor worship. This remarkably evocative work allows us to peak into ancient splendors of their remarkable civilization. Hand-carved. Venerated. An important and scarce work of art from America's Caribbean islands. Provenance: 1958 Cave cave find, LaAltagracia Provonce, Dominican Republic. Certificate of Authenticity accompanies Taino History: The Taino flourished from 1200-1500. When Columbus arrived in America, the first people he encountered were the Taino People- inhabitants of the islands of the northern Caribbean Sea, known as Hispaniola. They were Arawakan-speaking people who at the time of Christopher Columbus’s exploration inhabited Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic), Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Once the most numerous indigenous people of the Caribbean, the Taino may have numbered several million at the time of the Spanish conquest in the late 15th century. Their highly developed belief system focused on zemi ancestor or god worship. A zemi was the physical manifestation of a god, spirit or ancestor. The chieftain -caciques- encouraged ancestor worship and were often deified after death. The religious leaders or shamans were thought to be able to communicate with the souls of the dead when intoxicated by the hallucinogenic cohoba. A preoccupation with death is evident in many Taino art-forms and partly explains the prevalence of zoomorphic images. Bats, owls and frogs were all popular motifs and were regarded as harbingers of life after death. The Taino believed that the dead could be reborn in animal form and some believe animals were their earliest ancestors in Taino creation myth. hence we find their zoomorphic sculptures as combinations of human and animal forms particularly provocative and great conversational art. The creator god was known as Yúcahu Maórocoti, encouraging growth of staple foods, like cassava. The goddess was Attabeira, who regulated and dominated over water, rivers, and seas. Their contribution to the Spanish includes Indian corn, tobacco, rubber balls to unique art and artifacts, plus a new vocabulary. Importantly, the Taino lasting effects on Western civilization, though through brief contact, was an important and lasting one and continues to this day. Lifetime guarantee of authenticity: All of our works of art come with our Lifetime Authenticity Guarantee.

Dimensions:
Height: 2.9 in (7.37 cm)Width: 1.75 in (4.45 cm)Length: 2.9 in (7.37 cm)
Style:
Pre-Columbian (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Jade,Hand-Carved
Place of Origin:
United States
Period:
15th Century and Earlier
Date of Manufacture:
15th Century
Condition:
Seller Location:
South Burlington, VT
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU1289213902382

20th Century South African Folk Art Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Cotton, Wood

Beaded Ndebele Fertility Doll

$280

H 8.25 in W 4.75 in D 3.5 in

Beaded Ndebele Fertility Doll

Located in Chicago, IL

Category

20th Century South African Folk Art Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Cotton, Wood

Beaded Ndebele Fertility Doll

$280

H 7.25 in W 4.25 in D 3.25 in

Set of Three Beaded Ndebele Fertility Dolls

Located in Chicago, IL

Category

20th Century South African Folk Art Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Cotton, Wood

Set of Three Beaded Ndebele Fertility Dolls

$1,180 / set

H 10.75 in W 3.5 in D 3.5 in

Pair of African Cowrie Fertility Idol Figures

Located in Queens, NY

Pair of African (19/20th Cent) seated Cowrie fertility idol figures with a surface of small shells and beads and mounted on modern silver metal bases

Category

20th Century African Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Shell, Wood, Paint

Pair of African Cowrie Fertility Idol Figures

$22,500 / set

H 31 in W 14.25 in D 10.5 in

Folk Art Wood Sculpture of a Caribbean Man Holding a Pineapple

Located in Plainview, NY

A vintage Mid-Century period Folk art sculpture of a man standing tall. The sculpture is finely carved of quality wood and depicts a Caribbean farmer man wearing a hat, holding a pi...

Category

20th Century Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Wood

Folk Art Wood Sculpture of a Caribbean Man Holding a Pineapple

$600 Sale Price

20% Off

H 36 in W 7 in D 7 in

ANTIQUE DAYAK SHAMAN FERTILITY SCULPTURE STATUE IRON WOOD KALIMANTAN BORNEO 94cm

Located in Reutlingen, DE

As beautiful as rare, antique Fertility Fetish Statue from South Kalimantan (Indonesia / Borneo), carved from hardwood. Over 100 years old. This Dayak magic figure, carved from...

Category

Antique Late 19th Century Indonesian Tribal Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Hardwood

ANTIQUE DAYAK SHAMAN FERTILITY SCULPTURE STATUE IRON WOOD KALIMANTAN BORNEO 94cm

$21,617

H 37.01 in W 7.88 in D 5.91 in

Bronze sculpture depicting sinuous female body

Located in Torino, IT

Bronze sculpture depicting female nude. Small statue made of bronze with parts, such as the face, gilded with mercury and wooden base. The sculpture depicts a sinuous female figure...

Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Bronze

Bronze sculpture depicting sinuous female body

$624

H 9.26 in W 3.55 in D 3.55 in

3 Hand Made Sycamore Treen Pots with Lids The pots have a rich colour

Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight

3 Hand Made Sycamore Treen Pots with Lids The pots have a rich colour and they are very attractive The Ali Baba style pot is the largest, it is 3.5” high and 3” in diameter Hand ma...

Category

Antique 19th Century Georgian Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Sycamore

3 Hand Made Sycamore Treen Pots with Lids The pots have a rich colour

$688 / set

H 3.5 in Dm 3 in

Antique 1920 s French Female Art Bust Mannequin

Located in Las Vegas, NV

INCREDIBLE. I use that word to describe only the befitting, and this piece truly is. Currently a piece in our personal collection, this female mannequin style bust on stand was pur...

Category

Early 20th Century Minimalist Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Steel

Antique 1920 s French Female Art Bust Mannequin

$4,000

H 54 in W 13 in D 9 in

18th C Rare Wood Female Carving Artifact

Located in Malibu, CA

18th century wooden carving of an female form. Presumed to be a French church piece. This figure has a beautiful face.

Category

Antique 18th Century French Renaissance Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Wood

18th C Rare Wood Female Carving Artifact

$2,065 Sale Price

30% Off

H 16.5 in W 6 in D 4.5 in

More From This Seller

View All

American "Human Effigy" Female Stone Sculpture, Tennessee, 1000 AD

Located in South Burlington, VT

A Native American Human Effigy female statue, Holliston Mills Site, Tennessee , sandstone, circa 1000 AD Dimensions: 11.75 inches tall and 3.75 inches width 5.75 diameter All stone carvings from America's Prehistoric past are scarce. The majority of known carved stones come from the far western Mimbres, Hohokam or Casas cultures. This sculpture is unique. Quality: fine original condition with varigated patina as found. Notice the detail of the carved ear spools...

Category

Antique 15th Century and Earlier American Native American Objects

Materials

Sandstone

American "Human Effigy" Female Stone Sculpture, Tennessee, 1000 AD

$15,000

Americas Earliest Known Pyrography Vessel 400AD

Located in South Burlington, VT

World's earliest known pyrography vessel, Nazca Culture , circa 400 AD This unique work of art is a hand-incised half gourd using an early pyrographic (pyrography) wood burned techn...

Category

Antique 15th Century and Earlier Peruvian Pre-Columbian Natural Specimens

Materials

Wood

Americas Earliest Known Pyrography Vessel 400AD

$2,500

Japanese Big Antique Blue And White Hand-Painted Good Fortune Money Cat

Located in South Burlington, VT

Japan a rare large-scale and lovely hand-painted blue and white ceramic Maneki Neko good fortune money cat. It is from the Arita/ imari kilns and dates to the early 20th century. Notice the intricate detailed blue painting on white porcelain of this cat's eyes, body, necklace, and tail. Dimensions: Big 15.5 inches tall and 7inches wide. This comes from a very fine Kyoto area collection. Handsome hand painted blue detail replete with a necklace with bells and bows. Old original patina from appropriate age. An earlier work of art that is hard to find in this size and quality. Handmade and hand-painted. Only one. History: The Maneki-Neko (Japanese literally -beckoning cat) - is a common Japanese figurine (lucky charm, talisman) which is often believed to bring good luck to the owner. In Modern Times, they are usually made of ceramic or plastic. Wooden examples are few and far between. The figurine depicts a cat (traditionally a calico Japanese Bobtail) beckoning with an upright paw, and is usually displayed in—often at the entrance of—shops, restaurants, pachinko parlors, and other businesses. The maneki-neko is sometimes also called the welcoming cat, lucky cat, money cat, happy cat...

Category

Early 20th Century Japanese Taisho Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Ceramic

Japanese Big Antique Blue And White Hand-Painted Good Fortune Money Cat

$760 Sale Price

52% Off

Old Vintage Pair Hand Painted Happy Snow Couple Lighting Lanterns

Located in South Burlington, VT

Very Nostalgic opportunity, memories of a wintery childhood past. America's fondest childhood memories conjure up this remarkable Pair (2) of old, plump delightfully vintage and liv...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Iron

Old Vintage Pair Hand Painted Happy Snow Couple Lighting Lanterns

$796 Sale Price / set

56% Off

Angel Unique Hand Painted Sculpture by Master Designer Eva Fritz-Lindner

Located in South Burlington, VT

A one -of-a-kind monumental 28" Monumental Floating Angel -Flatterspas- tall sculpture created, handmade, and hand-painted by master designer Eva Fritz-Lindner (1933-2017) in 1992. Handcrafted and hand-painted in beautiful colors by this artist. Designer/maker: Eva Fritz-Lindner (1933-2017) Signed with her stamp i3D. Glaze: The matte colors are bright and vivid and the hand painting is superb Estimated Rarity: unique Additional comments: This is the only example we have seen in collections. Substantial dimensions: 28 inches tall Handmade / handarbeit and hand glazed About the artist: The bold Folk Art sculptress and ceramist Eva Fritz-Lindner (1933-2017) studied at the Werkkunstschule Wiesbaden and Darmstadt and was a master student in the sculptor class by Erich Kuhn. From 1955 she worked as a master designer at the Staatliche Majolika-Manufaktur Karlsruhe where she created and designed several hundred highly regarded ceramic folk art animal sculptures...

Category

Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Ceramic, Pottery

Angel Unique Hand Painted Sculpture by Master Designer Eva Fritz-Lindner

$3,900 Sale Price

89% Off

Native America Antique Hand Carved Granite Human Head

Located in South Burlington, VT

From Native America comes this unique ancient hand carved granite stone head head effigy, attributed to the Yokuts People. It was collected on a private ra...

Category