Zuni Carved White Marble Bird Fetish with Turquoise Offering Bundle View Watchlist >
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Lot # G627
System ID # 30483977
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End Date
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Zuni Carved White Marble Bird Fetish with Turquoise Offering Bundle
A small Zuni bird fetish carved from white marble, the form reduced to essentials — a rounded head with a single inset turquoise dot eye, a blocky body, and a long swept tail. Bound to the back is a turquoise nugget secured with a wrap of sinew that runs around the body, the traditional offering bundle marking the piece as a working fetish rather than a purely decorative carving.
Fetishes of this kind hold a central place in Zuni belief, carried as bearers of protection and good fortune, with the bundled stone serving as an offering to the spirit within the carving. The pale marble takes a soft polish, and the minimal, geometric treatment of head and tail reflects the abstracted carving style long associated with Zuni animal fetishes.
CONDITION
Good. No remarkable damage. The sinew wrap and turquoise bundle remain intact and secure; light surface soiling and natural mineral inclusions consistent with the marble.
DIMENSIONS / SPECIFICATIONS
- 1" × 1 3/4" × 1/4"
- Weight: 13.0 grams
- Materials: White marble, turquoise, sinew
- U.S. Quarter (0.955" Dia.) Shown for Scale — Not Included
