Name: Zuni Turquoise Bear Fetish
SKU: cg45brtq
Availability: InStock

Zuni Turquoise Bear Fetish

Wonderful bear carved from turquoise with coral and shell bundle by unknown Zuni fetish carver.

Bear is the guardian of the West. Bear is associated with great strength and power.

1 in stock

Zuni Turquoise Bear Fetish

Zuni Turquoise Carved Bear Fetish by unknown Zuni Carver.

Wonderful bear carved from wonderful marbled turquoise with a coral and shell bundle by unknown Zuni fetish carver

Bear is the guardian of the West. Bear is associated with great strength and is considered a powerful healer.

Zuni Turquoise Carved Bear Fetish

Dimensions:

1.5 in. long x 1 in. tall

SKU: cg45brtq

Zuni Fetish are carved into different animals and supernatural spirits, each a significant symbol to the Zuni people. The animals and spirits depicted through these fetishes were believed to have certain characteristics that could be transferred into the carvings themselves. If you owned a fetish, you would then inherit the respective properties that your fetish represents. However, until the carving is blessed by a Zuni spiritual leader, it remains an intricately carved piece of art.

Some animals have important symbolic characteristics that are relatively consistent; however, the spirit of the fetish can be interpreted in many ways depending on the individual owner’s perspective.

Most carvings are made from stone, though for centuries the Zuni people have carved many for personal use from different materials such as wood, antler, shell, clay, coral and even silver. They believe that the spirits of the animals can act as messengers to the gods and provide them with protection from various evils in the world as well as promote the benefits of other elements.

The animals are sometimes depicted with bundles of shells, stones, arrowheads, feathers and other symbolic elements. These bundles are offerings that the animal spirit will carry to the gods on behalf of the owner of the fetish. However, it is said that only the pure of heart will be able to stir the spirits with any true power.