Arte del Mar: Art of the Early Caribbean

Arte del Mar: Art of the Early Caribbean by James A. Doyle is a digital bulletin from The Metropolitan Museum of Art. This PDF edition offers instant download access to the catalog content presented with the museum’s Winter 2020 exhibition.

The book explores the interconnected history of the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean. It focuses on the sea as a vital source of cultural exchange from about AD 200 to 1500.

Book Overview

This Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin provides the first-ever holistic look at art from the Caribbean, drawing on The Met collection and remarkable loan objects. It features masterworks from the early first millennium to the present and foregrounds the diversity of Caribbean peoples.

Written by James A. Doyle, the bulletin opens with the iconic wooden zemí figure in the Rockefeller Wing and expands into a regional history of connection. It also includes Spanish and English texts, reflecting the dominant language of the Caribbean today.

What You’ll Discover Inside

• How maritime exchange connected Caribbean islands and mainland societies across a vast network of trade and ideas
• The shared formal grammar of ritual knowledge, ceremony, and political power in indigenous Caribbean art
• Tairona goldwork from Colombia, including figure pendants, labrets, and bird pendants
• Eagle pendants from Veraguas, Panama, made between the 11th and 16th centuries
• The legacy of Taíno art and the significance of The Met’s wooden zemí figure
• The continuation of Afro-indigenous legacies into the twentieth century through artists such as Wifredo Lam

Why This Book Matters

Arte del Mar builds on The Met’s long commitment to Caribbean art, from The Art Heritage of Puerto Rico in 1973 to Taíno Art of the Dominican Republic in 1985. It comes at a moment when new scholarship is revealing the complexity of indigenous Caribbean societies before and after 1492.

The bulletin supports a fuller understanding of the region’s artistic traditions and its lasting influence on global art history.

Book Details

Device Compatibility

This is a digital download delivered as a PDF file. There is no physical shipping and access is available immediately after purchase. The file works with compatible Kindle apps, tablets, desktop computers, mobile devices, and reading apps.

FAQ

How do I access my download after purchase? Access is available immediately after purchase through your digital library.

Will I receive a physical copy? No, this is a digital download only. No printed book or shipping is included.

Which devices are supported? The PDF can be opened on compatible Kindle apps, tablets, smartphones, computers, and most reading apps.

Explore Arte del Mar and experience the art of the early Caribbean in your digital library today.