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Portfolio Tag: Taino Museum

Stone frog

Stone frog
The conventionized image is that of a frog with fore and hindlegs bent inwards, as if preparing to jump. In La Hispaniola the frog was associated with females and females functions. In the South American mythology, children were turned into frogs while calling toa toa what means mother, at the same time this is the…
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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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Bone spoons

Bone spoons
Spoon made of bone with anthropomorphic decoration. This artefact was part of the Cohoba ceremony helping to transfer the ground hallucinogen powder from the grinder to a small saucer. From there the powder was snuffed off with an inhaler. The decoration usually represented the zemi that helped the shaman reach a state of ecstasy.
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Fotuto shell musical instrument

Fotuto shell musical instrument
Shell of the species Charonia variegata with an orifice at its apex. This shell which is abundant in the waters surrounding the island was very useful, first as a food and also as a household item and for body ornaments. In this case it was made into a musical instrument some sort of a trumpet.…
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Chisel

Chisel
Taino were able to carve large works of art in stone and other materials. They used tools like chisels made of stone and shell. They were especially used to cut stone, wood, bone and shell as well as for finishing touches. When working with this tool, the artisans used a percutor which was a round…
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Canoe Anchor

Canoe Anchor
Admiral Christopher Columbus searching for a maritime way to India discovered land that Amerigo Vespucci identified as a continent unknown to Europeans. When reaching the island Guanani christened by Columbus he had his first encounter with the local people that he named Indians. He continued on to Cuba and La Hispaniola, and then returned to…
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Silex carvers

Silex carvers
The first groups that arrived at the island of La Hispaniola were carvers of silex or flint, from which they made various artefacts such as pointed tips for handles or weapons, knives, scrapers, hammers, burins, drills, chisels and chopping blocks. Their way of life was nomadic, and they lived from hunting, gathering and fishing. One…
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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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Duho

Duho
Duho or seat made from a single piece of wood, representing an anthropomorphic figure with sculptured head and engraved geometric designs on the back, used for the cohoba ritual. The Duho was also used by the cacique while watching the ball game played by the Tainos. The head represented the deification of the dog called…
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