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Pendant Figure

13th–15th century
Not on view
This stone pendant, worn by Taíno leaders and healers, features a crouching anthropomorphic figure known as a zemí. Zemí (or cemí) is a term used by Taíno peoples, the diverse societies that inhabited the Antilles archipelago before European contact, that linguistically relates to a quality akin to sweetness. Zemí refers not to an object or image but to an immaterial, spiritual, and vital force pertaining to deities and ancestors. There are several known zemí identities recorded by the Spanish, some of which have been linked to archaeological images.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Pendant Figure
  • Date: 13th–15th century
  • Geography: Dominican Republic, Caribbean, Distrito Nacional, La Caleta, reportedly
  • Culture: Taíno
  • Medium: Stone
  • Dimensions: H. 3 in. × W. 1 1/4 in. × D. 1 in. (7.6 × 3.2 × 2.5 cm)
  • Classification: Stone-Ornaments
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Oscar de la Renta Gift, 1997
  • Object Number: 1997.35.3
  • Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing

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Pendant Figure - Taíno - The Metropolitan Museum of Art