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The Spirit of Zuni Fetishes
by Suzanne Smith Arney
(with the collaboration of Matt Wolf)
Carved Zuni fetishes are admired by collectors for their aesthetics. They’re purchased by tourists as souvenirs of a trip to the Southwest. Scholars study them to understand Zuni culture. Spiritual seekers find meaning and direction in their forms and materials. Traditional Zunis honor their sacred power.
Whether known as fetishes, charms, amulets, or talismans, these small objects, usually representing an animal, have existed since the earliest days of the Pueblo peoples. At first, concretions - stones naturally suggestive of an animal’s shape - were carried for power or protection. Carving was added to embellish or emphasize the animal form. With anthropological research in the late nineteenth century and growing market appreciation throughout the twentieth, the carving of fetishes has become a serious and successful art form....
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Contemporary
Native American
Sculpture of the Southwest
and Vicinity |
