Indigenous Caribbean Amulets (?)from Leogane and Mariani

 

Whilst taking another look at Nicolson's book with its sketches of Amerindian antiquities of Saint Domingue, we noticed that one of the "fetishes" sketched back in the 18th century bears a remarkable resemblance to a figure found in Mariani and photographed in the 20th century. Identified as an amulet in L'art précolombien d'Haiti, the frog-like position of the legs and arms and the pronounced sexual themes suggest the piece may have been associated with fertility. If it really was an amulet or charm made of stone and worn by the user, perhaps it was meant to promote fertility and childbirth? 

The fact that very similar objects made of stone found in Leogane parish during the 1700s and Mariani centuries later points to this object's form having a recognizable meaning in the lands encompassed by the Xaragua chiefdom. Although we are still unsure  exactly what it is, it appears to combine symbols of fertility with a human and frog-like position. This recurring symbolism of the frog seems to be consistent with indigenous Caribbean art since the Saladoid cultures of ancient Puerto Rico. One can also note the similarities between these two pieces and some of the depictions of sitting or crouching women in petroglyphs at sites like Caguana.  

Gambaru in Hallam

 

We tried to snap a photo of W.K.R. Hallam's photograph of the Gambaru ruins recently. Originally in an article published in Nigeria Magazine entitled "Komadugu Yobe: The First and Last River," Hallam's article is rather brief on the early history of this region. Since it was published in the 1960s, the article also relies on less accurate chronologies for the Sayfawa Dynasty. Nonetheless, the claim that Biyoma, the "first" historical mai, was buried at Yo (a town on the south bank of the Komadugu Yobe), is interesting for possible references to an early presence of Kanem kings in the Borno region.

The Bullet That Missed

We found Richard Osman's The Bullet That Missed to be a significant improvement over the second entry in the series. Featuring our lovable cast of elderly sleuths, the novel also introduces new romances, intrigue, and humor. Here, however, the humor was less jarring and the ultimate mystery here was well-plotted. We were particularly fond of the resolution of the Viking's plot to kill Viktor, an old KGB spy acquaintance of Elizabeth. We shall probably continue reading the series to see what happens next with these characters, particularly Stephen's ongoing battle with dementia. 

La Gonave Bowl or Dish

 

Whilst perusing pictures of the National Museum of the American Indian's Haitian objects, we came across the above picture of a wooden bowl or dish found in La Gonave, Haiti. Given La Gonave's reputation at the time of Spanish contact as a center for the finest wood carving (producing some of the treasures of Anacaona of Xaragua), the above bowl may be an indication of what the fine wooden vessels and dishes used by Xaragua's elite looked like. Unlike the above dish, however, which possibly survived in a cave in La Gonave for 500 years, the wooden vessels, dishes, and duhos of Anacaona would have been in a much nicer condition. The 4 bird-like heads on this piece are a nice addition, stylistically similar to other avian and animal figures in "Taino" art. 

Wooden Duho With Anthropomorphic Head (Puerto Rico)

Whilst rereading Joanna Ostapkowicz's "Taíno Wooden Sculpture: Duhos, Rulership and the Visual Arts in the 12th-16th Century" this week, we have been struck how interesting the different types of duhos truly can be. Her photographs of the various pieces are also stunning, although the thesis should be published with color photographs and updates for the stools that have been dated. Nonetheless, thanks to this dissertation, one can see different types of duhos less frequently discussed. The above case, found in a cave near Trujillo Alto in Puerto Rico, is one of the few wooden (the only?) duhos we have seen from Puerto Rico with a human figure at the top or tip of the back. What is surprising about it, however, is the piece's legs are clearly modeled on or similar to zoomorphic duhos with the head in between the front legs. The position of the legs and pose are suggestive of that, too. Does that mean the artist was initially intending to produce a zoomorphic duho but changed their mind? Or is there something here about the animal-human features? The human head's features seem to be a little distinct from similar duhos from Hispaniola, too. 

A Duho Without a Head

  

Image Source

We were recently revisiting Ostapkowicz's dissertation on the duho and looking at images of the stools again. Somehow it escaped us how unusual and interesting the Hispaniola duho purchased in 1925 for the National Museum of the American Indian truly is. Despite bearing so many stylistic features common to duhos from the island of Hispaniola, including some rather famous pieces surviving in museums in Europe and the Dominican Republic, this particular one lacks a head between the front legs. The high-backed stool has the panel with the 3 circles and dots as well as a similar panel at the front, whoever carved this piece apparently did not include a head (anthropomorphic or zoomorphic). Nor can one find a head at the top of the duho, with a human or anthropomorphic head as a few examples found in eastern Hispaniola and Dominica show (although the Dominica find was likely from Hispaniola). 

While duhos without heads exist, one with the specific set of features like this, seems rather unusual. It would be intriguing to learn more about the piece's history, but all we can say with certainty is that it was purchased in Paris in the 1920s and supposedly came from the Dominican Republic. It would be interesting to know if it had any connection with the famous duho given to the Musée de l'Homme by a wealthy French collector. In the case of this more famous example of Taino masterpieces, the stool was allegedly from Haiti.

La Gonave Antiquities (Olsen)

Whilst taking another look at Fred Olsen's On the Trail of the Arawaks, we were reminded of 3 marvelous wooden pieces found in La Gonave included in his book. It's not entirely clear where they were found, but at least some of them were allegedly discovered in a cave on the island. Since they are likely at least 500 years old, we should be grateful they have survived at all. The first piece, a tray or platter of oval shape, has definitely borne some of the negative effects of its great age.

Another one of the La Gonave finds was a duho with an animal-shaped head. It too has not been very well preserved, but it's stylistically similar to other Hispaniola stools with zoomorphic figures. It's a pity Olsen's book did not include photographs from all angles of this fine duho.

Perhaps the finest of the La Gonave finds is the above duho (or votive altar?). One can detect symmetrical patterns and grooves in it that bring to mind some of the finest duho panels from the island of Hispaniola.