Zuni Carved Pink Alabaster Beaver Fetish with Turquoise Eyes

A miniature Zuni stone fetish carved in the form of a beaver, worked from pink-and-rose alabaster with natural red-brown veining running through the body. The eyes are set with inlaid turquoise, a traditional Zuni finishing technique, and the animal is rendered in a low, crouching posture with cleanly defined limbs and incised toes. The reverse carries the fetish's most telling detail: a crisply cross-hatched tail, the diamond lattice cut with an even hand that separates careful commercial work from generic production.

Fetish carving at Zuni Pueblo (Halona:wa) is ceremonially rooted, and the beaver is associated with water and industry in Zuni cosmology. Commercial production expanded significantly after the 1970s as Zuni carvers supplied a growing collector market, and this piece is consistent with that mid-to-late 20th century tradition. Unsigned, with no carver mark on any surface. The rose-veined alabaster is a less common choice than the white alabaster or pipestone seen across most fetishes of this scale, giving it a visual distinction within the category.

CONDITION

Good with no remarkable damage. Turquoise eye inlays are secure and the cross-hatched tail work remains sharp. Light natural mineral inclusions and veining are inherent to the stone, not flaws.

DIMENSIONS / SPECIFICATIONS

• Overall: 9/16" H × 2 5/8" W × 1 1/8" D
• Weight: 26.3 grams
• Material: Pink alabaster with turquoise inlaid eyes
• Origin: Zuni Pueblo, New Mexico
• Unsigned
• U.S. Quarter Shown for Scale — Not Included