Zuni Bear Fetish Of Sodalite By Michael Mahooty

Here's a strong Zuni bear fetish hand carved in royal blue (almost purple) sodalite stone by Michael Mahooty.

About: He's named Boyd and with his well-fed shiny round body and tiny inlaid turquoise eyes, he'll likely captivate you. Boyd carries a turquoise, mother of pearl and spiny oyster offering bundle on his back which provides healing, protection and strengthening of prayers.

Significance: Bear fetishes like Boyd are known to be guardians of one of the Six Cardinal Directions, the West, and they're associated with strength, courage and healing just as you might expect.

Zuni People use fetishes in ceremonies because they represent the powerful spirit of the carved animal. Boyd, though, is not ceremonial. Unlike old Zuni fetishes that were used for religious purposes and may have unethically made their way to market, Boyd the bear fetish was made specifically for you - you can use him as your own special totem, or you can simply display him on a shelf to bring you joy every time you pass by his beautiful little figure. 

Provenance: Boyd comes 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. 

Measurements: Boyd measures 2 1/8" long x 1 1/4" high and 7/8" wide. He's signed on the bottom with "MM".