A Hispaniolan (Taíno) emissary presents a siba (stone celt) to the Lucayan cacique (chief), who welcomes him to his village with an entourage of family members ceremonially painted and attired in a rich variety of stone and shell bead body ornaments (including belts, naguas – women’s aprons, necklaces and ear flares).
The emissary has come to offer in trade the stone artefacts from his village - not available in the Lucayan archipelago - for the small shell beads so expertly made in the region.
The ceremonial nature of this exchange underscores that these inter-island connections were not simply about accessing materials and artefacts, but about the social connections that bound people together in these long-distance networks.
