Angus's Artefact of Week 2 2011

Froglegged Lady depicted on the Sevilla la Nueva Pillars at the National Gallery of Jamaica.

Sevilla la Nueva was the first Spanish settlement of importance on the island of Jamaica. It was settled in 1510 AD, but abandoned on the order of the King in 1534. Although it wasn’t really successful as a settlement it represents an important episode in the early colonial history of Jamaica.

Although its locations had been forgotten for more than 4 centuries in the late thirties of the last century local archaeological enthusiast Charles Cotter succeeded in uncovering architectural remains that were probably part of the Governor’s house or of the first stone Christian church in the Americas (paid for by the well-known Peter Martyr of Anghiera who never visited the island, but still was Jamaica's " bishop at a distance").  The column that is this Artefact of the Week is one of several such columns found by Cotter.

From Charles Cotter 1948's publication on the pillars

It is done in a typical European style called platteresque, depicting lush foliage and four Grotesques (mythical creatures). When I visited the National Gallery of Jamaica I immediately noticed that the centre figure had much in common in terms of form and symbolism with the famous frog-legged Mother Goddess that is known as Atabeyra (see last week’s Artefact of the Week for more info). After consulting with my sister (an art history student) it turned out that the form of this Grotesque is unknown from this period in Europe. It also turned out that these pillars were probably crafted by the original inhabitants of Jamaica as part of the services they were required to deliver under the encomienda-system.

We therefore suspect (and will explore this possibility in an upcoming paper) that this figure is indeed a syncretistic variation on the Caribbean frog-legged mother that was done in a style that was recognizable to the Spaniards, but with a symbolism and form that was distinctly Caribbean.

Next week the last of my triptych on the Caribbean frog-legged mother goddess!

Angus's Artefact of Week 1 2011

The Atabeyra of Holguín, Cuba

A clay figurine of a woman that is either pregnant or giving birth. This particular object was found in a field in the Banes area and is now in the Museo Indocubano Baní. It is one of several of such type of artefacts in East Cuba. It is notable that a number of these artefacts can be found here, because female figurines are rare in the other Greater Antilles.

It is said that this particular type of figurine represents Atabeyra, who is a Precolumbian type of mother goddess according to eye-witness accounts from Hispaniola made by Fray Ramon Pané in the final years of the 15^th century. Whether this figurine actually represents Atabeyra or some other type of fertility figure remains unknown, but it is striking that figurines such as these also played a prominent role in the establishment of the syncretic (Indigenous, African and Catholic) cult of the Virgen del Caridad del Cobre, which is Cuba's Patron Saint.

Next week more on mother goddesses in the Caribbean!