Zuni fetishes

Zuni fetishes are small (several inches long at most) carvings from various stones, made by the Zuni Indians. These carvings serve a ceremonial purpose for their creators, or they can be sold, with non-religious intentions, to collectors worldwide. Typically they depict animals such as the wolf, badger, bear, mountain lion, eagle, mole, frog, and others. According to the book Zuni Fetish Carvings by Dr. Harold Finklelstein, the Zuni world is made up of six regions or directions. Each direction has a guardian animal, where are as follows: North - the Mountain Lion, West – the Black Bear, South – the Badger, East – the Wolf, the Sky or Upper – The Eagle, and the Underground or Lower – the Mole. More contemporary subjects may include insects, reptiles, or dinosaurs, but these would be considered non-traditional.

Traditionally, the essential materials used by carvers were often turquoise, jet, shell (primarily mother-of-pearl), and coral. These four materials and their associated colors are principle in the Zuni sunface, a cultural symbol which is present in Zuni jewelry and fetishes. Other materials used are Zuni rock, fishrock, jasper, pipestone, marble, or organic items such as bone and deer or elk antler. Even artificial substances such as slag glass are used. In recent years Zuni carvings, or fetishes, have become popular collectibles and the Zuni artisan has familiarized their self with materials available from all parts of the world in order to serve the aesthetic tastes of collectors. The artists styles are as unique as the artists themselves, and there are many whose works are highly sought after by collectors. Some collectors prefer a figure that is more realistic in appearance, while others prefer the more traditional styles that are intrinsic to Zuni belief. The traditional belief of the Zuni is that the least modification of the original material maintains, or heightens, the power of the fetish as a "natural concretion". Realism in carving style is a matter relative to the beliefs of its owner, and the realism in contemporary carving is a product of collector request and demand and the intent of Zuni carvers to raise the level of their art form through participation in the world of contemporary art. The enigma, or apparent paradox relevant to Zuni belief and realism in art is resolved in the notion that carvings for sale and collection are produced without religious intent. For this reason some carvers prefer the term "carvings" rather than the term "fetishes" when referring to offerings for collectors.

In tradition, each animal is believed to have inherent powers or qualities that may aid the owner. The wolf for example, provides guidance through life's journeys, while the raven and the horse are thought to have the power to provide healing. A fetish in the shape of a horse might also be carried during travel in hopes of a safe, swift journey.

A fetish may be signed by the carver, or not. Personalization by signing a piece of art traditionally violates the Zuni notion of community purpose, and the signing of artwork is a concept introduced to the Zuni by Anglo collectors at the beginning of the twentieth century (c. 1915). Often, though, a Zuni carver feels that their own unique style is readily identifiable and the fetish's style will be enough to identify the carver as surely as would any other mark. Most carvers are the recipients of a family tradition and have learned their skill from parents, grand parents, or siblings, and have passed the art to their own children as well. Besides being made from various stones and other materials, (each material has unique properties) the fetish can be embellished with an offering, or prayer bundle of small beads of bright red coral, shell, or turquoise, for example. They may carry a miniature arrowhead typically made from shiny abalone shell or mother of pearl, but carvers have been known to use a wide variety of other materials as well. These small items, although colorful to the eye, are intended to protect and feed the fetish itself.

On the subject of feeding, it is believed that the fetishes require a meal of cornmeal and ground turquoise periodically.Fetishes may be kept in a clay pot as it is the tradition, although collectors usually like to keep theirs somewhere where they can be admired. Any but the very delicate fetishes could be carried by the owner in a pocket, pouch or bag.

The first and original publication on traditional Zuni fetishes is "Zuni Fetishes" by Frank Hamilton Cushing, a pamphlet printed from Cushing's original work for the Bureau of American Ethnology during his tenure as an anthropologist in Zuni 1879-1883.