Zuni Turquoise Fetish Bear with Offering Bundle & Shell Arrowhead View Watchlist >
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Lot # G622
System ID # 30483171
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End Date
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Zuni Turquoise Fetish Bear with Offering Bundle & Shell Arrowhead
A hand-carved standing bear fetish worked from a single piece of highly figured turquoise — a dense spiderweb matrix of pale seafoam nuggets set against deep chocolate-brown host rock, polished to a soft glow across the flank. The form is compact and heavy in the hand, with a lowered head, defined shoulder hump, and stub legs. An offering bundle rides the back, bound in place with sinew: a horn or shell arrowhead laid along the spine and a caramel-toned prayer piece angled at the muzzle.
The medicine bundle is a hallmark of the Zuni fetish tradition, in which the bear stands as a guardian of the West and a symbol of strength and healing. The bound arrowhead adds protective power to the carving. This example is unmarked.
CONDITION
Good with no remarkable damage. The turquoise takes a clean polish; sinew binding is intact and holds the bundle securely. Natural matrix veining runs throughout the stone as part of the material, not as damage.
DIMENSIONS / SPECIFICATIONS
- 1 1/4" W × 1" H × 1/2" D
- Weight: 12.2 grams
- Materials: Turquoise, shell, sinew
- Unmarked
- U.S. Quarter (shown for scale) — Not Included
