A fine Taino stone pestle, 1000-1400 AD, Dominican Republic, of dense hard stone carved with a recumbent figure for the handle but the body of the pestle also forms a second figure, minor chips and some white dots of old paint (from when collectors painted their houses but did not cover their collections properly). Provenance: BL Hornshaw collection (1878-1937). Hornshaw was an avid collector of Pacific and Australian Aboriginal artefacts, he received many of his pieces from people who lived and worked in the Pacific in the late 19th century, people also gave him some objects from North American Cultures as with this pounder / Todd Barlin collection. Height 14.5 cm