Taino: Pre-Columbian Art and Culture from the Caribbean (Paperback)

~ Ricardo Alegria (Author), Jose Arrom (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Of Arawak descent, the Taino – whose ancestors migrated to the Caribbean from the Amazon Basin in South America during the 6th century – were the first people encountered by Christopher Columbus. Although they ceased to exist as an autonomous society within 60 years of the arrival of Spanish colonizers, the Taino – skilled agriculturists and navigators and accomplished weavers, potters, and carvers – developed a complex political, religious, and social system, and made a substantial contribution to the biological, cultural, and linguistic makeup of large areas of the Caribbean. To this date, Caribbean communities in the Antilles and in New York and other large American cities exhibit the survival of Taino practices in their worldviews, religious beliefs, language, music, and food.

From the Publisher

Organized by El Museo del Barrio in New York to coincide with a major exhibition, this is the first comprehensive English-language publication on the fascinating legacy of Taino art and culture. Showcasing over 100 rare and beautiful ceremonial and domestic artworks and individual masterpieces of this ancient culture – produced in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Haiti, and the Bahamas between A.D. 1200 and 1500 – Taino includes examples of finely detailed and polished sculptures carved in wood, precious ornaments of shell and bone, and ceramics decorated with animals, birds, and intricate geometric motifs. The contributors include ten of the foremost scholars of pre-Columbian culture and art, and an appendix featuring writings from Spanish explorers who had contact with the Taino.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Monacelli (February 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1885254822
• ISBN-13: 978-1885254825
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 9.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #477,461 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!!!, June 27, 2001

By	Armando J. Marti (Guaynabo, PR USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I consider this book the most complete on the Taino's art and crafts. The collection presented here was gathered from all over the world and represents all the islands of the Greater Antilles. Yet, it is not merely a "coffee table book" full of great pictures. The authors of the essays included represent some of the most important researchers of the Caribbean. Ricardo E. Alegría's essay "An Introduction to Taino Culture and History" is the best summary of this ancient people's way of life. This was a real achievement for the Museo del Barrio and Monacelli Press.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazingly well researched and written!, July 6, 1998

By A Customer

This book is a must for anyone who has an interest in the Caribbean and pre-Columbian art and culture. In addition to scholarly essays on specific aspects of Taino culture, there are many beautiful images and line drawings that explain patterns and sybols found throughout Taino art.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exquisite detailing of a people and their culture!, November 2, 1998

By A Customer

Here, the interested reader will find an unparalleled account of a great people sadly wiped out by greed. This book is the foremost reference on the people and culture from the carribean. Nowhere can there be found a more complete account. No other book can compare to what one can learn from this book. This is by far the best book I have found on the subject of precolumbian culture in the Carribean!