BE BOOY— ANTILLEAN AMULETS 



the exception that no band encircles the ankles and no arms are 

 shown. 



The larger Porto Rican amulet (pi. II, c) is of a cream-colored 

 nephritic stone (amphibolite) and stands 2^8 inches high. The mouth 

 of this figurine is represented by two deep, incised lines, but no teeth 

 are shown. The nose is prominent, but the eyes are merely indicated 

 in a conventional manner by two shallow incised grooves. In this 

 amulet also the head is covered by a banded crown, which, relatively 

 speaking, is of greater height than the crown shown on the amulets 

 from Cibao, La Vega, and Mesa del Sordo. A large knob serves to 

 indicate the ear. Unlike the preceding specimens, this amulet does 

 not have a perforation below the head for suspension; it is provided 

 with a vertical perforation, however, from the top of the head through 

 the body to the soles of the feet. No arms are shown. The legs are 

 flexed under the haunches and the body is erect. The knees are spread, 

 and the triangular piece of stone to which attention has already been 

 drawn appears between the legs. As a result of a fracture, one of the 

 feet is missing, but the other foot indicates that there was no marked 

 difference in that respect between this and the amulets before de- 

 scribed. No raised band, however, surrounds the ankles. 



The sixth specimen (pi. in, /), also from Porto Rico, is made of a 

 white nephritic stone (amphibolite) and stands an inch and three- 

 quarters high. The nose and the eyes of this zemi are shown in a 

 highly conventionalized manner by incised lines; a double-banded 

 crown surmounts the head ; the ears are indicated by large knobs. This 

 specimen has been perforated for suspension below the ears and verti- 

 cally from the head through the body to the feet. Again the figurine 

 is shown with body erect and legs flexed and with the triangular piece 

 of stone between the legs. There are no arms. The feet are propor- 

 tionately large, and provided with incised grooves to indicate the 

 toes, which extend under the feet. 



The seventh specimen (pi. in, d) is from the Cibao mountains of 

 Santo Domingo; it is made of a white nephritic stone (amphibolite) 

 and stands 2}4 inches high. The nose, eyes, and mouth of this amulet 

 are shown in a highly conventionalized manner by bands in high 

 relief and by incised lines. A triple-banded crown covers the head; 

 the ears are represented by large knobs. This zemi is perforated for 

 suspension below the ears. No arms are shown. The body has the 

 usual haunched position, with the other characteristics of the speci- 

 mens previously described. The feet are not so well carved as are 

 those of the other amulets, and, owing to a fracture, the toes are 

 missing. 



[29] 



