The Taino of the Caribbean islands centered their religion on the worship of zemis, or deities. Shamans (behiques) served as intermediaries between supernatural and natural worlds. They communicated with deities by inhaling cohoba powder, a hallucinogen that was mixed with tobacco to maximize its effect. Carved spoons were used to ladle the powder, which was then inhaled through the nose with a tube. Before ingestion, the shaman purified himself by purging with a vomiting stick. Ritual objects of bone and wood such as the ones seen here were exquisitely carved with images of zemis, who helped the shaman achieve ecstatic states.


Los Taíno de las islas Caribeñas centraban su religión en la adoración de zemis o deidades. Los chamanes (behiques) servían como intermediarios entre los mundos sobrenatural y natural. Ellos se comunicaban con las deidades mediante la inhalación del polvo de cohoba, un alucinógeno que se mezclaba con tabaco para maximizar su efecto. Cucharas talladas se usaban para verter el polvo, el cual era inhalado con un tubo por la nariz. Antes de ingerirlo, el chamán se purificaba purgándose con una espátula para vomitar. Objetos rituales de hueso y madera como los que se ven aquí estaban exquisitamente tallados con imágenes de zemis, quienes ayudaban al chamán a alcanzar el estado de trance.

Alfred W. Jenkins Fund

Brown-black wood piece that has a handle in the form of a crouching human figure. Body is decorated with crescent-shaped lines. Face has circular eyes, a long nose, and a wide smiling mouth with jagged teeth. Has a brow line with a knob at the top of the head. At the base of the figure, there is a circle in front and a sideways G-form on the back. Designs emphasized with lime. 'Blade' tapers to a flat rounded point and is perpendicular to the human figure.

Brown-black wood piece that has a handle in the form of a crouching human figure. Body is decorated with crescent-shaped lines. Face has circular eyes and a long nose as well as a brow line, and an open mouth with jagged teeth. A knob is at the top of the head. There is a band of triangles around the base of the figure. Designs emphasized with lime. 'Blade' tapers to a flat rounded point and is perpendicular to the human figure.

Brown-black wood piece that flares upward along the handle where two symmetrical birds are back to back on handle end with spiral patterns. Short 'blade' tapers to a flat rounded point. The space in between has a ridge on either side with a heart-shaped face at the bottom end. Designs emphasized with lime.

Brown-black wood piece that has a handle in the form of a crouching human figure. Face has circular eyes and a long nose as well as a brow line. Head has a wide area for the hair. There is a band of triangles around the base of the figure. 'Blade' tapers to a flat rounded point and is perpendicular to the human figure.

Brown-black wood piece that has a handle in the form of two crouching figures with a decorated body. Figures are at right angles to each other. Figures are decorated with hour-glass shapes and crescent-shaped lines. Designs emphasized with lime. Faces have circular eyes, a long nose, and a wide mouth. 'Blade' tapers to a flat rounded point.

Brown-black wood piece that has a handle in the form of a crouching human figure. Spiral decoration at the junction of the 'blade' and the handle. Carved designs are filled in with white. Face has small circular eyes, a long nose, and a wide smile. 'Blade' tapers to a flat rounded point.

Wooden spatula with one end that has a long thin handle and the other end that has a large round paddle-like end. There are two lines at the top of the handle, and lines, dots, and a bird design on the paddle-like end.