Lot 67

Taino Stone & Shell Ornaments - Group of 7 Carved Beads & Pendant

Previous image preload Next image preload
Back to catalog
Lot 67
image_0 image_1
Taino Stone & Shell Ornaments - Group of 7 Carved Beads & Pendant
Taino Stone & Shell Ornaments - Group of 7 Carved Beads & Pendant
image_0 image_1

Taino Stone & Shell Ornaments - Group of 7 Carved Beads & Pendant

Estimate: $800 - $1,200
by Artemis Fine Arts
June 25, 2026 9:00 AM MDT (In Progress)
Live Auction
686 S. Taylor Avenue
Suite 108
Louisville, CO, US 80027

Pre-Columbian, Dominican Republic, Taino, ca. 1000–1500 CE. A group of seven personal ornaments worked from stone and shell, their surfaces incised with the tight scrollwork and labyrinthine fretting characteristic of Taino adornment. Two long tubular beads of black stone carry the densest decoration, paired with two pale shell barrel beads and a pair of disc-shaped shell beads whose concentric grooves spiral toward central perforations. Among them sits a small greenstone pendant, undecorated and pierced at one end for vertical suspension, and a slender cylindrical shell peg, carved but unpierced and so not strung but applied or inset. Such beads strung as necklaces and cinturones signaled rank within Taino society, where lapidary skill and exotic materials marked the wearer's standing. Together the lot preserves a vocabulary of curvilinear ornament that animated the body across the late Ceramic Age Antilles. Size of longest bead: 3" L x 0.5" W (7.6 cm L x 1.3 cm W).

The Taino were the dominant culture of the Greater Antilles at the time of European contact, with the Dominican Republic and Haiti (Hispaniola) forming a heartland of their chiefdoms (cacicazgos). Personal ornament was a language of status: beads of stone, shell, bone, and the prized greenstone were strung into collars and belts worn by caciques and elite, while certain forms were sewn or set into other objects. The incised curvilinear and labyrinthine motifs seen here echo the broader Taino design idiom found on stone, ceramic, and woodwork.

Provenance: ex-private collection, Fairhaven, Massachusetts, USA, collected from 2010 to 2015

SHIPPING: We coordinate worldwide shipping in-house through specialist international forwarders experienced with fine art and antiquities customs manifests. International buyers must confirm, prior to bidding, that their country's customs authority will accept the item. All duties, taxes, clearance fees, and any costs arising from customs delays, seizures, re-export, returns, or loss in transit are the buyer's sole responsibility. Artemis assumes no liability for items refused entry, detained, or lost after export. We cannot ship ancient items to their country of origin (Egyptian to Egypt, Greek to Greece, etc.).

PAYMENT EXCEPTION: For clients not previously established with Artemis, payment for all gold, precious metal, and gemstone lots must be made by bank wire transfer or certified bank check/money order, without exception.

Item # 198659

  • Condition: Very Good. Beads and pendant are wearable. All have weathering and surface wear, but are otherwise in overall good condition with nice remaining detail.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Auction House will ship, at Buyer's expense

Artemis Fine Arts

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 30% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000