Vintage Medicine Bear Fetish Trio

Here's the sweetest sloth of three medicine bear fetishes. Two are vintage Zuni fetish carvings, and a third stylized medicine bear is of unknown origin, could be Zuni or could simply be Southwestern. The three bears have lived together for many years in a beloved collection of Zuni fetishes. Of all the animal fetishes in the collection, these three medicine bears are fantastic as a trio because of their good looks - similar arched backs, simpler designs and muted earth tones. Each was brought to life by a different carver, yet they collectively represent powerful healing medicine.

Bears are one of the most revered of all Zuni fetishes. They offer strong protection and courage. They also stand as guardians of the West, one of the six cardinal Zuni directions.

The first fetish is a charming white spirit bear hand-carved of dendritic serpentine. Her medicine bundle is comprised of sacred materials -  a hand-carved black jet arrowhead with rolled turquoise beads and a single piece of coral. She has a precious serene face, and her back paws are carved on the bottom. Be sure and notice her adorable ears. She's the most traditional looking of the three, and goes by the name Sally Bear. 

The second fetish is created from hand-carved white banded onyx in delicate earthen colors with gentle stripes that highlight the shape of her body. She has inlaid turquoise eyes, and also carries a medicine bundle of sacred materials. Her medicine bundle is made of a hand-carved turquoise arrowhead along with a turquoise nugget and rolled shell beads. She's carved in a transitional style with elements somewhere in between traditional and contemporary. Her name is Bertie Bear.

The third fetish is the most contemporary of the three with her simple, rounded shape. She's carved of Picasso marble with veins of black and brown. She's without any medicine bundle but stands large and strong. Her name is Bianca Bear. 

Together Sally Bear, Bertie Bear and Bianca bear will bring you years of delight as they quietly guard your home from their station on a shelf.

Dimensions: Sally Bear measures 2" long x 1 1/2" tall x 1/2" wide. It appears that she may have a tiny worn hallmark on the bottom.

Bertie Bear measures 2 1/8" long x 1 5/8" high x 5/8" high. She is signed on the bottom of a back foot.

Bianca bear measures 2 1/2" long x 1 3/4" high x 5/8" wide. She doesn't appear to be signed.

Provenance: They come from the collection of a beautiful woman who grew up in Germany during World War II. Post war, she moved to the United States and became a model in New York City. She eventually married, left her modeling career, and moved to El Paso with her husband. In El Paso, she first experienced the charm of Native American art and jewelry. 

Many years later, she attended her first of several celebrated Native American art field trips hosted by Martha Struever. During this time, she expanded her collection of Native American art and jewelry. Her collection wasn't vast, but it was extremely meaningful to her.

After a long and full life, this dear woman recently passed away. She knew that her collection which she lovingly called her "treasures" was to be handled by Turquoise & Tufa, and she expressed her wishes that these dear fetishes would bring as much joy to us as they did to her.