Taíno deity or ancestral spirit, and a sculptural object housing the spirit
Zemi figure, Ironwood with shell inlay. 27 in. (68.5 cm) high. Dominican Republic: 15th-16th century. The bowl atop the figure's head was used to hold cohoba during rituals.[1]Taino Zemi mask from Walters Art Museum
A zemi or cemi (Taíno: semi [sɛmi])[2] was a deity or ancestral spirit, and a sculptural object housing the spirit, among the Taíno people of the Caribbean.[3] Cemi’no or Zemi’no is a plural word for the spirits.