David Bernstein Fine Art is pleased to present a new exhibit of 173 rare, museum quality ancient Taíno and pre-Taíno artifacts, crafted in variety of media including bone, ceramic, shell, stone, and wood, c. – 1500 AD. The exhibit also includes a selection of ancient objects from the pre-Taíno Saladoid and Ostinoid cultures, dating back as early as 2,500 BC – 600 AD. These objects were carefully acquired over the course of 40 years, and this collection would be impossible to replicate today.
As seen in the popular musical Buena Vista Social Club, the Caribbean islands provided an optimal environment for the Taíno and the peoples of the neighboring islands to establish flourishing cultural and social communities. Because the rich marine environment provided warm weather and an abundance of plentiful food sources, a stable foundation was set for a flourishing artisan class among the Taíno. Taíno artisans are renowned for both their technical stone carving skills and their ability to combine realism and abstraction. The objects in the collection include large stone deity figures, beautiful stone mortars and pestles used to create psychedelic compounds, stone celts, adzs, and blades, and a variety of small personal effects that feature abstracted animist deity figures. The collection also features jewelry made of carved bone, stone, and shell beads, as well as ceramic dishes.
The exhibition is accompanied by Taíno: Pre-Columbian Art and Culture from the Caribbean, a color catalog which includes an introduction, full-color plates of selected objects followed by an illustrated essay, ending with a complete catalog of 173 objects. The essay discusses the marine environment, social structure, and cosmology of the Taíno, revealing insights about the Taíno recorded by the Spanish chroniclers - including notes from Friar Ramon Pane’s An Account of the Antiquities of the Indians, written in 1498. The essay also details the ritual meaning and purpose each of the of the various styles and forms of Taíno art, implements, and personal effects.
This collection in its entirety offers a rare opportunity for both collectors and those studying the Taíno to engage in a comprehensive visual survey of authentic Taíno art and culture. The online environment is flooded with auctions featuring fake Taíno objects; this exhibit is intended not only for collectors, but for researchers and students wishing to study genuine Taíno artifacts. The online Taíno exhibit at David Bernstein Fine Art online showcases detailed images/views of all 173 objects featured in the exhibition catalog, available as a downloadable PDF. Prices for the Taino objects are available upon request.
