Vintage Zuni Wolf and Bear Cub Fetishes

Here's a set of two vintage Zuni fetishes. Each animal is hand carved by a different Zuni artist, but they've been living together in the same Zuni fetish collection for many years. 

The carvings depict a wolf and a bear cub - in earthen cream colored stones, each with a turquoise arrowhead offering. It's almost as if the wolf has adopted baby bear into his pack.

They're both powerful animals in Zuni fetish carvings. Wolf is guardian of the East and bear is guardian of the West. Wolf represents loyalty to family or clan as well as wisdom. Even though the bear fetish is just a cub, he will bestow increasing amounts of courage and strength as he grows into a more imposing adult. Together the two should gift you with healing, good medicine and plenty of smiles. 

Dimensions:  Baby bear is wee. He measures 1 1/8" long x 3/8" wide and 3/4" tall. He is initialed on his paws.

Wolf measures 2 3/16" long x 3/8" wide and 1' tall. He may be initialed. It's very hard to see.

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.