Ca. 600-1500 AD. Dominican Republic. Made of magnetite. Multiple hidden “ghost” faces. The first is the initial head at the crest of the Zemi that looks like a bird’s head but has a small mammal-like mouth. The brow line forms a second wide mouth frog like face. The ghost faces appear in the configurations of bird head swirls on the front and back of the Zemi. The embossed circles on the side represent a set of four swirls, probably a reference to the four sacred corners of the universe. The base is cupped, pecked and polished. 7 1.2″ long. 4.6 lbs. Provenance: From the estate of Dr. Robert Woodward, Professor of Entomology at the University of Florida. Condition consistent with age and use.
