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37 - TAINO VOMIT STICK
Starting price
£800 (€959)The reserve price is the minimum price accepted by the seller. Bidders cannot see this price. To win an item, you must place the highest bid and meet or exceed the reserve price.
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Estimation
£1,000 - 1,500 (€1,100 - 1,800)Sale fees
TAINO VOMIT STICK DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, C. 1000 - 1400 A.D. carved bone, depicting an anthropomorphic figure with skeletal features, recessed eyes and pronounced, grimacing teeth, crouching with arms bent over his stomach; decorative geometric carvings throughout the body and top of the sick; raised on a bespoke mount 26cm tall Provenance: David Bernstein, New York Woolley & Wallis, Arts of Africa, Oceania and the Americas | Antiquities, September 18, 2025, lot 708 Private collection, UK, acquired at the above Taíno sculptors created ceremonial objects, known as vomit spatulas, spoons, or vomitivos, featuring stylised human and animal forms. Used in purification rites, these tools helped shamans (behiques) induce vomiting before entering trance states brought on by inhaling cohoba, a hallucinogenic snuff. Carved from bone, wood, shell, or occasionally stone, they were often linked to zemis, ancestral spirits central to Taíno religion. In communal rituals, these implements served as both practical tools and sacred conduits to the spirit world.
Auction details
Form Through TimeAuction house
Lyon & Turnbull +44 1 31 55 78 844 info@lyonandturnbull.comDelivery is optional. You can use the carrier of your choice. The stated price does not include the lot price or the auction house fees.