Vintage Zuni Bear Fetish of Turquoise by Peter and Dinah Gasper

Do you remember Barbara the collector of the great fetishes that Turquoise & Tufa presented last spring?

If not, here's a little refresher: Barbara was 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 pieces would bring as much joy to us as they did to her. 

While I sold most of Barbara's fetishes in the spring website presentation, I held on to this most special fetish so that it could appear in Turquoise & Tufa's annual catalog. It's a natural turquoise bear by Peter and Dinah Gasper of Zuni Pueblo. 

How precious is this darling creature! Look at his sweet little mouth and ears and his adorable paws. His face is accented with inlaid coral eyes and nostrils. He dates circa 1960 and measures 2 1/2" x 1 1/4". When you hold him in your hand, you'll be transformed even if you've got a cold, cold heart.

Unsigned. Watch him star in this little section of a video here.

• Handcarved Zuni fetish
• Natural turquoise bear
• By Peter and Dinah Gasper
• Measures 2 1/2" x 1 1/4"
• Unsigned