Celt

10th–15th century

Not on view

The most numerous category of polished stone sculpture emerging from the Taíno world of the ancestral Caribbean islands are ceremonial axes and blades, which take many forms and may have been an important medium of exchange. Axes feature abstract zoomorphic forms in stone, or consisted of wooden handles with stone blades hafted to them. Stone axe handle-shaped figures may have been ceremonial scepters. Ceremonial blades made of different types of greenstone, both local and imported, have been recovered in large numbers. These axes, known as petaloid celts for their resemblance to flower petals, could have served as dedicatory offerings, which have a long history on the Caribbean mainland in Mesoamerica.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Title: Celt
Date: 10th–15th century
Geography: Dominican Republic, Caribbean
Culture: Taíno
Medium: Stone
Dimensions: Height 3-3/4 in.
Classification: Stone-Implements
Credit Line: Bequest of Arthur M. Bullowa, 1993
Object Number: 1994.35.417
Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing

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Ceremonial axe, Taíno artist(s), Greenstone, Taíno — Ceremonial axe
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Zemí figure, Taíno artist(s), Stone (biocalcarenite), Taíno — Zemí figure
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