Ca. 600-1500 AD. Dominican Republic. Made from turquoise jasper/rhyolite like stone found in the Imbert Formation near Puerto Plata and on beaches along the south shore of Bani. Fully relief carved with subject’s hands on belly. A band of owl symbols are engraved above the arms which extend from the shoulders down the back, to the hips. There is a band of bird head symbols on each leg. The elbows have been drilled as spirit portals. When inverted, the legs and bulge between the thighs appear to be a ghost or spirit face. The snuffer is an excellent example of the Taino craftsman’s lithic prowess, where two snuffing holes are drilled to join a single tube using nothing other than Stone Age tools. 5.2″ long. Provenance: The Larry Roberts collection, author of “Taino Sculptures, Art of the Gods”, “Taino Hallucinogenic Implements Inhaling the Cosmic Dust”, and the newly released “Taino Zemis and Other Heads of State, Rediscovering Caribbean Art”. Museum displays of Taino Art, Orlando Museum of Art and Santa Fe College, Gainesville, Florida. Condition consistent with age and use.
