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Portfolio Category: Jewelry

Body ornaments

Body ornaments
Part of an Shell bracelet manufactured from a shell of the ´Strombidae family. This family is composed of several genera found in Antillean waters, which have been widely used by the indigenes. Multiple techniques were known to them for breaking, cutting and polishing the shell achieving thus the desired shapes. Bracelets make part of the…
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Body decoration

Body decoration
Perforated shell plaques used for belts. Belts were usually composed of varied elements like beads, animal teeth which were inserted, by means of a string, between shell and-or bone plaques which had been previously perforated in different places. Body decoration was frequent among the Tainos. They used to paint their bodies and wear collars, belts…
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Stone collar

Stone collar
Stone collars are large stone rings. They date approximately from 600 AD to 1500 AD they are artifacts used at public ceremonies and would have to be visible to many people at the same time. They were produced to communicate and reinforce religious or social messages.
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Necklace of stone beads

Necklace of stone beads
The Taino liked to adorn their body with paint, jewelry, and other decorative objects. Necklaces were made of stone, shell or animal teeth. Occasionally extra holes were made on the beads for attaching other ornaments such as feathers. In certain circumstances amulets in the form of a small figure in squatting position were incorporated between…
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Frog pendent

Frog pendent
The frog was figuring the women and is symbol of fertility. The representation of frog in combination to necklaces was common in Saladoide culture. Archaeologist might have discerned a strong change took place in the material culture of the Caribbean 2500 years ago, the arrival of people we know by their pottery, which we call…
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Little bone zemi with skull head

Little bone zemi with skull head
The Taíno placed strong importance on ancestor worship. They believed in afterlife and great care was given to the dead. Skull designs represent dead ancestors. Zemies who represented ancestors were objects of great power and were perceived as supernatural beings who could help the person who possessed them.
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Amulets

Amulets
Taino craftspeople regarding shell and bone. Their techniques are matched only by those of the Inuit carvers in Alaska. These Objects often appear to have ritual functions. They obtained the raw material from fishing and sea gathering activities because the ground fauna was poor and humans bones were seldom used.
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