Ca. 600-1500 AD. Marble. 19″ long x 2 3/4″ high x 13″ wide. A series of intricately incised interfacing bird heads fills the surface of the turtle’s carapace. A circular ridge surrounds the vessel’s opening. The front legs are detached from the form. On the base, there is a set of carved ovate eyes at each end, both combining with the turtle’s structure to create a zoomorphic spirit form. Its size suggests it was used for the distribution of cohoba, the principal entheogen used by the Taino during supernatural ceremonies. Turtles were part of the creation mythology. Many Caribbean cultures believed that islands rested on the backs of turtles. Provenance: Formerly owned by Pre-Columbian art collector Alan Wurtzburger, Baltimore, Maryland to a private Florida collector. Curated by Larry Roberts, author of Taino Sculpture Art of the Gods, Taino Hallucinogenic Implements Inhaling the Cosmic Dust, and Taino Zemis and Other Heads of State, Rediscovering Caribbean Art. BS in Archaeology, University of Florida and BA in Art History, University of Florida. Museum displays of Taino Art, Orlando Museum of Art (2013-2014) and Santa Fe College (2024-Present). Mr. Roberts has been a collector of Caribbean Pre-Columbian art for the last 60 years. Age appropriate wear.
